Marionette
by ZERO-xxx
Summary: Hired to be Elsa Winters' bodyguard at a young age, Jack Frost never expected a pure romance to blossom between them. However, reality serves to be a cruel reminder to him that freedom is absent and happy endings do not exist. The world is calloused and cold to him, but to her, he wishes nothing more than warmth and happiness. [Modern AU] [JELSA]
1. The Bodyguard

**A/N**

Hello and thank you for clicking into this fic of mine!

Other chapters (other than the ones with the most current update) will not contain A/Ns, but this first chapter will as I find it necessary to kind of give a background/warning for those ready to dive into this multi-chaptered Jelsa fic.

For one, this IS a Jelsa fic (Jack Frost x Elsa), second - it IS a Modern AU, and third - it IS rated M. This is also a Romance/Tragedy, so take heed - things are going to get dark and twisted, so if you're here for a feel good, cutesy Jelsa fic with a shallow plot and one-dimensional characters, then please click out now. I intend to make you think while reading and at the same time, experience a multitude of feelings.

However, if you do like psychological thrillers, action, Jack being a badass bodyguard, with a Jelsa romance that goes deeper than just "liking each other", then please -

feel free to continue reading!

Enjoy the moment.

* * *

 _ **ANNOUNCEMENTS:**_

 _ **FIC UNDERGOING MAJOR EDITING! EDITED CHAPTERS WILL HAVE AN INDICATION AT THE TOP.**_

 _ **[3.3.2016]** \- Part II release date_

* * *

 _ **Marionette**_

 _Rise of the Guardians x Frozen modern AU multi-fandom crossover_

 _Summary: As Elsa Winters' bodyguard, Jack Frost is bound by his duty to serve her. What starts out as an innocent friendship grows into a passionate romance that neither of them expected. Will Jack be able to put his duties before his feelings? Can he protect her from the darker forces at play...and from himself?_

 _Warnings - WILL contain gore, torture, violence, explicit language, and several "lemon" scenes_

 _ **Chapter 1 - The Bodyguard**_

* * *

The young girl giggled blissfully as she rolled around in the snow, unaware of the damage she was doing to her delicately sewn cotton dress.

"Young Mistress, please stop that! You'll ruin your clothes!"

Popping her head out from the pile of snow, she giggled happily again when she saw the maid running over to her. "You have to catch me first!" she squealed delightedly, jumping around and creating flurries of snow behind her as she ran with wild abandon.

Exasperated, the middle-aged maid pleaded with the girl to stop. "Your mother and father will get very angry if they see your ruined dress!"

The blond haired girl spun on her toes, her thin braid flying out behind her, and she did a little graceful dance as she continued to evade the maid's clutches. Finally, they both stopped when they heard a voice calling out the young girl's name.

"Elsa? Darling?"

Her blue eyes immediately widened, a playful light sparking within them. "Papa!" she exclaimed, running through the snow covered courtyard of her family's mansion and into the arms of her expectant father.

He chuckled as she nuzzled his shoulder lovingly. "Elsa, you got snow all over you!"

Elsa only giggled happily in response as her father helped brush off some of the excess snow on her shoulders and head. "Isn't it great?" she asked with a toothy grin.

Agdar looked on lovingly down at his daughter and looked over at the maid, who was walking over to them with the most exasperated look in her eyes. "I'm sorry, Wendy," he mouthed under his breath, apologetically.

She shook her head, while respectfully bowing her head towards him. "There's no need to apologize, Master. My job is to take care the young mistress after all." She mustered up a weak smile, despite how tired she was from chasing Elsa around for the past half an hour. Quietly, she excused herself to go help the other maids with dinner preparations.

Upon entering the dining room, she sighed dejectedly of which the other maids took notice.

"I assume you had to take care of little Elsa?" one of them asked, laughing softly at Wendy's reaction.

"Yes," she replied, setting down the forks and knives upon the long table. "She's quite the handful, especially when she's playing outside in the snow. I swear, if you told her to sleep outside in it, she would."

One of the younger maids chimed in. "Oh, if I knew, I would have offered to switch jobs with you, Wendy," she said as she eyed the middle-aged woman guiltily.

She waved it off with a kind smile. "It's fine. Even though I've been assigned as Elsa's personal maid by Mistress Idun, I enjoy looking after her personally." Her expression turned solemn as she let her fingers linger upon the utensils. "...It's also because I can't help, but feel like I've failed her as her servant."

The other maid seemed confused as to what Wendy was referring to, when another maid stopped her dinner preparations to ask her, "oh - you were hired just a few months ago. Did no one tell you what happened to the young mistress seven years ago?"

She shook her head, while widening her brown eyes in curiosity. "What happened to her?"

"She was abducted in the middle of the night," Wendy explained somberly. "The master and mistress were in such a panic when they found out that they paid a large sum of money in order to get her back. Us servants were not told much information about the entire ordeal, but it seemed as though Elsa has no memory of the incident since the kidnappers drugged her."

"You can't blame what happened, solely on yourself, Wendy," the young maid reassured. "They sound like brazen, dangerous people. It wasn't like you could fight them off yourself."

"Hm," the middle-aged woman replied with a gentle smile. "I try not to, but after working for the Winters for almost ten years now, I feel attached to them." She tried to change the topic as the maids filed into the kitchen to start bringing out the food. "I heard Master Agdar speak about hiring a new servant - a bodyguard for the young mistress."

" _A bodyguard_?"

"Yes. It seems as though he had been wanting to hire one ever since the young mistress' kidnapping, but with the birth of Anna and the sudden growth of the corporation after that, Agdar hadn't had the time to do so until now."

* * *

"Mama...will Anna be okay soon?" Elsa asked worriedly as she stood by her little sister's bedside. Cradled in a swathe of blankets, the young child did not look too good. Although deep within the realms of sleep, her entire face was a pinkish red from the fever she had.

"She will be, don't worry," Idun smiled down at Elsa, gently pulling her away from the bedside. "The doctor will come back tomorrow to make her all better." She led her daughter out of the bedroom and held her tiny hand as they walked down the hallway.

She sadly dropped her head. "I hope so...Olaf wants Anna to be better soon too."

"Olaf?" Idun laughed softly, "the snowman friend you two play with in the courtyard?"

Elsa's bright blue eyes seemed to twinkle excitedly at the mention of their snowman. "Mhm! He cares a lot about Anna, just like I do!"

"That's very kind of Olaf." Idun listened to her daughter's active imagination as she told her of how she and Anna had many instances where they played out the roles of princesses and pretended that Olaf was their valiant knight. "Maybe you can go tell Papa all about your stories," she coaxed Elsa as they arrived at his study. Idun remembered how her husband, Agdar, wanted to speak to Elsa about a pressing matter regarding her kidnapping. She protested against it, but he was insistent as if he was anxious.

Idun tightly held her daughter's hand and smiled down at her. She knocked on the study's door and she heard Agdar's voice on the other side.

"Come in."

She opened it up, the door slightly squeaking as she did so.

Almost immediately, Elsa sprinted into the room cheerfully. "Papa!" she exclaimed as she ran around the large study desk and hopping into her father's outstretched arms.

"Elsa, honey," Agdar said, returning the young girl's enthusiasm with a grin of his own. He captured her in a tight bear hug, eliciting a bubbly giggle from the young blond haired girl.

"Papa, stop! That tickles!" she said in between laughs.

He chuckled, noticing his wife through his peripheral vision. Agdar turned his head slightly to make eye contact with her and she rather somberly averted her eyes as she took a seat on one of the plush sofas in his study. With a soft clearing of his throat, he set Elsa back on the ground and led her over to Idun. "Is Anna doing alright?" he asked the ten year old.

She nodded enthusiastically in response. " _Mhm_! Mama said that the doctor's going to make her all better! I hope he does, because it's a little boring to play outside with just me and Olaf," she said, pouting as she took a seat beside her mother on the sofa.

"Olaf?" Agdar said with a gently smile, taking a seat beside his daughter. "You mean that snowman you two always build outside?"

Elsa's face instantly lit up at the mention of her irregularly shaped, snowman creation. "Yeah! He's our knight!"

"Ah, is that so?" he asked, entertained by her ever growing imagination. Agdar met gazes with his wife, who warily glanced at him, wondering when he was going to tell Elsa the important news. His lips turned into a kind smile again as he faced the young girl. "Elsa," he addressed her, "how would you like it if Papa gets you a real knight for your birthday?"

"A real knight?" Her eyes went wide in wonder.

"Yes, a real one. They can help Olaf," he said with a nod, leading her onto the idea.

Elsa clapped her small hands together bashfully. Her entire face lit up in delight as she excitedly returned her father's nod. "Okay!" she responded with a brimming enthusiasm while her mother's gaze fell in a solemn silence behind her.

Her hands that were gently cupped in her lap, tightened around each other at the uneasiness she felt inside of her. Idun briefly locked gazes with Agdar, of which she quickly averted away from, showing her quiet disapproval of his decision.

* * *

The maid rushed over to the front door, the lacy hem of her dress flying about behind her wildly. She reached the door and opened it, only to let out a gasp of shock when she saw the man behind the door.

A large burly middle-aged man, standing well over six feet tall, dressed in a dark red overcoat with a luxurious fur trim, stood before her. His grayish blue eyes twinkled kindly as he stared down at the trembling maid. A kind smile wrinkled his face as he spoke with a thick Russian accent, "hello, Miss. This is the Winters' residence, yes? Agdar Winters asked for me to come over."

Still frozen to the spot with shock, the maid stiffly nodded and let the large man into the mansion.

Almost immediately after the man was invited into the warm mansion, he was greeted wholeheartedly by the person he had been called to meet with. "Nicholas!" Agdar exclaimed from the second story balcony. He rushed over to the double staircase and strode over to his friend.

"Agdar!" the man named Nicholas said with vigor. He gave a hearty laugh as the two men shared a solid handshake. "It has been awhile, hasn't it?"

"Try a year," he chuckled, "come - let's go talk more in my study."

* * *

The apples of Nicholas' cheeks plumped up as he smiled, thanking the maid that set down a cup of earl grey tea in front of him. He sipped it and sighed contently at the warm liquid going down his throat.

"I'm sorry, I know you prefer coffee with extra milk, but -"

"Ah, no," Nicholas waved his hand, setting down the hot tea on the coffee table. "It is fine, old friend. You worry too much over these small details - like always." He chortled. "So - what is with the urgency?"

Agdar's expression fell as he slowly turned his back against him. He somberly looked out the window, his gaze practically empty as he spoke. "I'm afraid that I've caused something that has gotten out of my control."

Nicholas set his eyes into a hard gaze at his friend. "...What did you do, my friend?"

"I'm afraid that my daughter's kidnapping was only the beginning," he muttered, "they won't stop until they have everything."

"I thought you said took care of it, Agdar," the bearded man inquired suspiciously.

"I thought the same," he replied, "but I'm afraid the threat towards us hasn't gone away. After the kidnapping, my corporation has grown immensely, but at the same time the threat towards my family has grown as well."

"Agdar…"

"You have to understand, Nicholas. I'm eternally grateful for your services in helping to get my daughter back when she was kidnapped, but I'm afraid I'll need to request your services once more."

The Russian man frowned slightly, as if looking at him with disapproval. "I'm afraid none of us can help you if you want to hire us to kill. We are bodyguards, Agdar, not mercenaries or assassins for hire."

"I am aware," the dirty blond haired man replied with a smile. "I'm sorry, Nicholas, I should have worded it better, but I am not asking for that kind of help. I'm asking if you have someone available as a bodyguard for my daughter, Elsa."

Nicholas paused in thought, stroking his wispy graying beard as he did so. "I do have a few - "

" - They need to be young," Agdar cut in, earning him a confused look from his friend. He elaborated, "I'm not comfortable with a grown man watching over my daughter. Not to mention, I would like for them to be a playmate for her at the same time - preferably someone her age. I don't want her to know that they're here as a bodyguard."

"A _playmate_ -" he softly contemplated. "We do have a young boy - almost fourteen, but he is not ready yet."

"What do you mean?"

"Our organization, The Guardians, we strive for the best. That is what our boss, Manny Lunanoff requires of us. This boy that I have...he is not ready yet. He still has much to learn."

"That doesn't matter," Agdar insisted. "Surely he is capable of some duties?"

Nicholas let out a cross between a scoff and a snort. "Of course. He is capable enough to take down men twice as large as him. He is as good as any other bodyguard you can get your daughter, but he just isn't up to our standards yet."

Despite Nicholas' explanations, Agdar insisted that he give this boy a chance. "He can receive training with you on the weekends when Elsa doesn't go out for school. As for his education, I will pay for all of it. He will receive nothing, but the finest."

"Are you sure about this, Agdar?" he asked with a raised eyebrow. "It is strange that you're so set on this decision. Why do you want this boy so badly?"

"For my daughter's sake, Nicholas," the caring father sighed, looking out the window and down at the courtyard his study overlooked. He saw Elsa playing in the snow again, building up her Olaf snowman so carefree that it caused a bitter smile to cross Agdar's face. "Yes...for her sake... _nothing_ more."

* * *

Elsa saw him briefly when they entered her father's study, as she was on her way to her room. She wondered if she had saw a ghost or if her eyes were playing tricks, but she could have sworn that she saw a boy with stark white hair and looking like the very deity of winter - with pale skin and crystal blue eyes. She had never seen a more beautiful boy, so delicate looking, and she secretly waited around the corner, down the hall, occasionally peering out to see if they were ever going to come out.

She just wanted another look at him out of curiosity. She attended a co-ed private school and although the uniform was orderly, it sadly did not affect any of the boys with their behaviors. They had greasy hair, some already going through the effects of puberty with equally greasy skin. They picked their nose, spat on the ground, and acted like a bunch of baboons - teasing and making fun of all the girls and making it a mission to pull at a girl's braided hair every morning.

"I'll go get her -"

Elsa heard the sound of her father's voice from his study, snapping her out of her thoughts. She quickly popped out from behind the corner just as he called out her name. "Papa?" she asked. approaching him.

"Oh! Elsa," Agdar knelt down, grasping his daughter's narrow shoulders. He smiled brightly and asked, "remember I said I would get you a knight? Well - " Standing up, he moved out of her line of vision so that she could look into the study herself.

There he was - the beautiful boy she had seen earlier. He was pale skinned with equally pale hair, but his dark eyebrows and striking eyes made him stand out in his otherwise - docile appearance.

She shyly glanced up at the large, burly man who stood behind the white haired boy, hesitant on what she should do. Elsa, still awe-struck with the boy's appearance, wondered if she was living within a fairy tale as he smiled at her. He had a gorgeous smile, revealing his perfectly white teeth, and equally gorgeous set of ice blue eyes that creased as an angelic smile illuminated his face.

They were roughly the same height, with him barely an inch taller than her, Elsa noted. She flinched a little when she saw him hold out his hand towards her. Her mind went into a blank and she suddenly forgot how to even shake hands. Her nerves got the best of her and she absolutely hated it.

"My name's Jack Frost. What's yours?" he asked in such a gentlemanly voice for a young boy that it nearly melted her legs into a smooth jelly.

"El - Elsa," she shyly responded back, taking his hand.

"Pleased to meet you, Elsa," he smiled charmingly again, causing her to blush. Elsa felt her heart fluttering inside of her chest whenever he spoke. He sounded like a prince in the animated movies she and Anna loved to watch on the weekends.

With this, Elsa thought it was safe to say that she was the main character in the story, the princess with a charming knight-prince that would protect her. Realizing this, she put up her regal, "princess-like" persona, like whenever she and Anna pretended to be princesses. She straighten up her posture and smiled gracefully.

"I'm pleased to you meet you too, Jack."


	2. Olaf's Bravery

**A/N** Chapter 2 reedited

 **Marionette**

 **Chapter 2 - Olaf's Bravery**

 _Warnings: None_

* * *

Elsa gently patted the body of the snowman she was making. She pouted her lip when she could not quite get its head the shape she wanted it to be, so she yanked off her light teal colored mittens and proceeded to touch and mold the cold snow with her bare hands. Despite her pale hands turning a raw red from the cold, it didn't bother her in the slightest. She relished the feeling of the snow.

Jack quietly observed the young girl working on the oddly shaped snowman. He furrowed his brow, wondering why the head of the snowman was more oval in shape than traditional snowmen. He said nothing to Elsa, however, letting her finish her work.

"There!" she exclaimed, proudly placing her hands on her waist and puffing out her chest at her achievement. "It's Olaf!"

"Your friend, right?"

She nodded her head. "He protects me and Anna!"

Jack remembered what Agdar told him - about Elsa's overactive imagination. He seemed to be nervous while he was telling Jack this, as if it was something weird or abnormal, but the young boy thought it was better than being dull, boring. He liked that as soon as Elsa dragged him out to play in the courtyard, she managed to immerse him in a wild fantasy tale of princesses and brave knights.

"Me and Anna are princesses!" Elsa stated, smiling broadly as she patted down Olaf's snow body.

"And Olaf is our knight! Papa said you're here as our knight too, so you can be second-in-command!"

Starting to get pulled into this make believe scenario, Jack asked with a level of skepticism, "and why am I second-in-command?" He noted how when Elsa stated this fact, she did not bother to pause or hesitate to think about it - it was just automatic and it bugged him. Was he inadequate in some way?

Elsa sensed his agitated tone of voice and she quickly explained, "Olaf was here longer than you!" When she saw from his facial expression that he was not quite satisfied with that answer, she added in, "you can become stronger than Olaf, don't worry! You'll be first-in-command in no time!" She grinned sheepishly, hoping it would appease him.

Jack raised an eyebrow skeptically, but he eventually loosened up and went along with it. He laughed as he picked himself up so that he was kneeling on the snow. "Fine, I guess that's fair." His hands casually bunched up a bit of snow, while Elsa's attention was diverted to made sure Olaf looked perfect. A little mischievous grin worked its way across his face as he molded a snowball in his hands.

"Hey, Elsa - think fast!"

She turned around and was hit in the face with a flurry of snow. Elsa glared at him, annoyed, as chunks of snow slowly slid off her face, melting with her body heat.

It had been several days since Elsa was introduced to Jack. She learned that he was going to live with them, in one of the spare bedrooms beside hers. The platinum blond got excited with the news, thinking that Jack was going to be a servant that she could finally become friends with. She did not really understand all of it, but she happily accepted him. Aside from her long-distance friend, Rapunzel, Elsa had no one else she could call a friend, seeing as how she wasn't a social butterfly like her little sister, Anna. Despite this, Elsa held onto the hope that she and Jack could become best friends.

He was the first boy that she actually enjoyed talking to and aside from the initial nervousness, she quickly grew comfortable around him. Playful and talkative, there was never a dull moment with him. Of course, Elsa quickly realized the downside of such behavior as it quickly evolved from innocent playfulness to crude mischievousness. He would pull pranks on her whenever she least expected it and although harmless, they served to annoy the young blond to no end.

Elsa bent down, making a snowball of her own and chased the teenager around the courtyard. "Jackson Frost!" she used his full name whenever she got angry, as Jack noticed, "don't you know that hurt!?" She hurled the snowball at him and hit him squarely in the back, although it did not seem like it did anything to affect him.

Jack laughed it off, turning around and hurling a snowball back at her. "I thought the cold didn't bother you, Ice Queen!" he taunted, giving her a devilish smirk.

She fumed, scrunching up her nose and glaring at him. Elsa angrily grumbled under her breath as she made a huge snowball that she had to carry with both hands. "I'll show him," she said under her breath as he simply watched her from just a foot away - relaxed and not even worried that the huge chunk of snow was more than capable of hitting him. This annoyed Elsa even more - the way that he was so haughty and full of himself.

Elsa ran forth, attempting to throw the huge snowball, but she lost her footing. With the stepping stones slick with a thin layer of ice, she quickly found herself falling to the ground, about to land face first against the cold stone blocks. She braced herself for the impact, but it never came. Instead, she found herself in the safety of Jack's arms.

He had dove in to save her at the nick of time, allowing for her to be graciously embraced by the softness and warmth of his body. "That was close," he breathed out a sigh of relief, apparently unaffected by the rough landing he sustained, "are you okay?"

Then again, it was times like these that got Elsa to tolerate him. Even after all the pranks he pulled and the teasing, he would always be there to make it better. If she ended up crying, he would be there to comfort her - telling her over and over again that he was sorry until she stopped. Despite his mischievous nature, Elsa knew that he had a kind heart with the way he was genuinely worried whenever she got hurt because of his harmless pranks.

Elsa nodded, clutching the dark blue fabric of his hoodie and blushing slightly from the embarrassing slip.

They got up, Jack helping her brush off any loose snow that stuck to her warm knit sweater. "There we go," he said, trying to get the last of it off. As he turned her around towards him, he cried out in surprise when he received a face full of snow.

Elsa cackled, holding her stomach, as she watched the snow slide off of Jack's face. "Gotcha!" she exclaimed, proud at herself for a successful sneak attack. "I picked up some snow while I was getting up. Pretty good, huh?" Her victory was short-lived when she realized that Jack was gathering up some snow in his hands, chuckling.

"Nice one, Ice Queen, but no one sneaks up on me and gets away with it!"

Elsa dodged the incoming snowball and blew a fat raspberry at him. "You're gonna have to be faster than that, Jack!"

* * *

"Elsa! You're soaking wet!" Idun scolded, "were you playing outside this whole time? You know that you need to get your supplementary assignments done for the tutor tomorrow!"

Sensing that her mother was angry with her, Elsa nervously shuffled her feet on the polished marble floors. "S - Sorry, Mama. I -"

"I'm sorry, Mrs. Winters," Jack said, quickly coming to Elsa's aid, "she stayed out because I made her. Elsa wanted to come in earlier."

"Jack..." Elsa whispered under her breath, surprised that he was willing to take all the blame.

Idun stared at Jack for a bit, unsure of what to say next. She relaxed her shoulders and let out a soft sigh after a short pause. "You two..."

A maid came over to them, bringing over two dry towels. Idun took them both and draped it over the children's heads. She smiled a little, unable to get mad when they both seemed apologetic for their innocent mistake.

"I know you both love the snow...and how much you two like playing with each other. But do it in moderation -" she warned.

Jack sneezed, blushing immediately when Idun laughed softly at him.

"And not so much that you're at the point of getting sick." She turned her attention back to Elsa. "Now, you young lady - you are going to go take a nice hot bath and go to sleep. We don't need you getting sick too when Anna's just about to recover. Jack, could you please take her up to her room? Don't let her wander."

"Yes, ma'am," he dutifully complied. As he walked alongside Elsa, Jack sneezed again, causing her to burst out into laughter. He blushed hotly and mumbled under his breath, "it's not that funny."

"Is the cold bothering you, Jack?" Elsa replied, teasing him as she snickered.

"No way," he flatly answered back. The white haired boy glanced over at her and noticed that she was not even shivering, despite the fact that her clothes and hair were matted down with melted snow. Even her skin was still pale with no signs of red irritation from the chilly temperatures. "You really are an ice queen..." he muttered.

"Huh?" Elsa gave him a scrutinizing glare. "Is that supposed to be an insult?"

He shrugged languidly. "What? Do you think it's an insult?"

"I - I don't know!" she spluttered out, accusingly. "You're always teasing me so-!"

"Not always."

"You do!"

Her annoyance spiked when she saw him rolling his pale blue eyes. How could someone be tolerable one minute, then teeth grindingly irritating the next? Arriving at her room, Elsa yanked open the bedroom door and blew a raspberry at the young boy. "You stupid, big dummy!" she spouted off, trying to compile the worst words she knew in her limited insult vocabulary.

She slammed the door in his face and Jack stood there, mouth agape at what just happened.

At first it was just a soft snicker, then a chuckle, then it grew into a full-blown laugh. Jack felt awful, knowing that Elsa was angry with him, but he could not help it. He thought that was the most adorable thing ever - little Elsa trying to insult him with words that would be used on a playground. Jack rested his hand on her door and knelt down so that he could speak through the keyhole.

"I'm sorry, Elsa!" he said in between snickers. He knew he had to apologize, but at the same time he had a hard time controlling his laughter.

"Go away!" she shouted back.

"I mean it!"

"Then stop laughing!"

"I -" Jack stifled a laugh, miserably failing. From inside, he heard Elsa kicking the door, wordlessly telling him to leave. When that didn't work, she resorted to yelling at him.

"Stupid Jack!"

Deciding that he could try to apologize to her in the morning, Jack chuckled, leaving her door. "Goodnight Elsa!" he shouted back, receiving only silence in response. He let out a soft sigh, smiling, knowing that she was still angry.

Her bedroom door opened up slightly before he could get too far, the hinges squeaking as she did so. He turned back around and saw the blond poking her head out, avoiding his eyes.

"Goodnight..." she mumbled out shyly before closing the door.

* * *

Agdar let the tip of his pen glide across the smooth paper as he signed off his name on a document. He set it off to the side and picked up another paper, reviewing it silently. There was a soft knock on the door that grabbed his attention and he answered, "come in."

Idun entered the study, quietly closing the door behind her. She seemed worried, prompting him to walk over to her.

"Honey, what's wrong?" her husband asked, taking her cold hands in his.

"I don't know, Agdar..." she sighed wistfully. "Elsa and Jack just came back from playing together outside and…" Her gaze fell dramatically. "They're leading such normal lives now, but it won't be long before Elsa knows the truth as to why Jack's _actually_ here."

"Honey - "

"This isn't the life I wanted to give to our daughters. Constantly living in fear all the time - we still have no idea who kidnapped Elsa and the fact that you hired Jack a few days ago as her bodyguard just tells me that it's only going to get worse." She worriedly narrowed her eyes at her husband. " _Isn't it_?"

Agdar silently looked away from his wife, unable to answer her truthfully at the time. "I'm doing my best to fix things. I promise," he simply muttered, hoping to calm her down. He looked back at the young woman and gently cupped her smooth cheek, rubbing his thumb just underneath her eye.

Her soft brown eyes avoided his as she seemed unaffected by his touch. "I know," she murmured softly. "...You _always_ do." For a brief second, Idun regretted the small bit of contempt that was present in her voice, but when she was taken into her husband's arms, in a loving gesture, she relaxed into him.

The dark blond haired man held the small body of his wife against him and he inconspicuously let the corner of his lips fall into a dark grimace.

"The people that did this to us will get what they deserve."

* * *

"Oh, Jack!"

The white haired teen was immediately smothered by Toothiana's tight hug as soon as he stepped out of the elevator. For a woman of short stature, she had a lot of strength. He laughed nervously, hiding his discomfort from being squeezed that tightly, but he appreciated the warm welcome she provided him.

From behind, he could hear Nicholas North's trademark, booming laughter. "See? They all missed you!"

"What?" Toothiana momentarily let go of the young boy to look up at the lumbering man. The young woman's eyes went wide, the pink color contacts she wore on a daily basis, shimmering prettily. "He thought we wouldn't miss him?"

"Well...some of you guys anyways." Jack raised an eyebrow, smiling as he looked over to Bunnymund, who gave him an eye roll back. The tall, lanky man walked up to him, the soles of his tan cowboy boots clicking on the smooth metal floors. He wore a frown on his face.

"Now listen here, mate," Bunnymund said pointedly. "Just because I'm not squeezing the life out of you like Tooth is, doesn't mean that I don't care about you. Look -" He pointed back to Sandy, who was excitedly approaching them. "Sandy isn't hugging you either."

"Yeah, but at least Sandy actually looks happy to see me," the teen replied, laughing as he greeted the short, blond haired man with fluent sign language. Sandy excitedly signed something back to Jack, who smirked and signed something back, while glancing at Bunnymund.

The Australian man narrowed his eyes at the sight of their silent back and forth. "Alright Jacky, in case you didn't know, talking crap about someone in a different language doesn't exactly work when the person you're talking crap about, knows what you're talkin' about."

The silver haired youth responded back teasingly, "maybe you were _supposed_ to know what we're talking about."

Bunnymund scrunched up his nose in irritation. "Little brat," he muttered under his breath.

Jack snickered at the dark gray haired man's reluctance to admit that he missed him. "You do care. I know you do."

"Whatever, you bloody show pony."

"Now, now," North said, breaking up the small tirade before it dragged on any longer. "I brought Jack here to get his tattoo done. It will not be too long."

"About time," Bunnymund chimed in, "the damn alarm goes off every single time you bring him to HQ. Had to disable it because Manny kept nagging me about the loud noise."

"Well, now you don't have to worry about the alarm," Jack smiled, somewhat excited to get the tattoo, despite the pain. The tattoo itself was embedded with dozens of microchips inside the ink and it served as a passkey into the Guardians' HQ, as well as functioning as a tracker. Aside from the technical functions, the thing that made Jack excited the most was that it would make him feel like he was officially a part of the Guardians - a part of his adoptive family.

* * *

"You got a tattoo, Jack!?"

Elsa looked horrified as she continued to stare at the dark black snowflake shaped tattoo located on the young boy's left pectoral. The skin around the tattoo was an angry red, as Jack rubbed on a salve to disinfect and help the healing process.

"It's not that bad -"

"It is!" she wailed, "Jack's turning into a delinquent! You're going to be one of those mean thugs!"

"What?" Jack said incredulously before breaking into a laugh. He did not really need an answer when he saw that she was close to tears, genuinely worried that he was going to degrade into society's lowest. Seeing this, Jack could not help, but let out a soft laugh.

"It's not funny, Jack-!"

He set down the small container of salve on the side of the sink, laughing too much to be able to properly put on the medication. "Elsa," he snickered, "I'm not going to be a delinquent."

"But - !"

"If you're worried about me becoming a _'bad guy,'_ you don't have to be. Even if I do, I'll still be your knight, Princess Elsa." He smiled at her, bowing in a grand manner and causing the young girl to blush.

"That's not the point!" she retorted sharply, stomping her foot down on the tiled floors. Elsa felt her face heat up more when he continued to laugh. She was not quite sure if she felt embarrassed or angry with him. Unable to decipher her own moods and just feeling downright frustrated with him, Elsa stormed out of the bathroom, screaming, "boys are so stupid!"

Despite her angry outburst, Jack found it adorable and he laughed, much to Elsa's displeasure.

She growled, stopping halfway and then running back into the bathroom. "Stop laughing!"

He attempted to stifle his laughter, but failed, as he always did.

Her temper flared once more. "I hate you!"

"Aw, but I love you!" he replied back, teasingly.

Elsa felt her face heat up almost immediately. She tightened her lips in a straight line and wanted to say something back, but she wordlessly left, afraid that if she said anything, it would only make him laugh even more. As she ran away, Elsa felt her heart thumping away inside of her chest.

It was strange of how Jack's words affected her, even though she had heard such words from Anna and her parents many times. When he said those words, it made her heart race and her face heat up. She tightly squeezed her eyes shut and shook her head vigorously, attempting to rid herself of the thoughts surfacing in her mind.

Elsa concluded that it was just puppy love and in time, it would disappear. Jack was nearly four years older than her and she was sure that he only saw her as a little sister. The thought disappointed her to some degree, but she realized that she too, enjoyed a friendship with Jack more so than the idea of sharing romantic feelings with him.

She triumphantly placed her small hands on her hips, happy that she was able to effectively squash the romantic feelings she was starting to develop for the young teenager. With a smug smile, Elsa declared to no one in particular as she stood there by herself in the long hallway, "boys have cooties anyway."

And she was sure that Jack had _plenty_ of them.

* * *

It was a special occasion. For once, the Winters were heading out together as a family, in celebration of Anna getting over her sickness. With her younger sister fully recovered, Elsa excited discussed the mini outing with her. Their parents suggested that they take them to the outdoor shopping area in downtown Arendelle. Even with the bustling city still covered in a thick blanket of snow, they thought it would be a nice change in setting for the young girls, who had been cooped up inside the estate for much of their winter vacation.

Elsa happily played with the soft, rippling ruffles of her knee-length, light blue dress, as she idly watched Wendy fix up Anna's hair. Her little sister was practically bouncing up and down in her chair, despite their maid's pleas to keep still. "Are there going to be a lot of people there, Elsa?" she asked innocently, her azure eyes widening at her older sister's answer.

"Mhm! Mama and Papa said so! They said there's also a lot of lights, and decorations, and - _oh!_ \- toy stores that sell dolls _this_ big!" she exclaimed, throwing her arms out wide.

When the young red head's eyes practically popped out of her skull in amazement, she clapped her hands together, laughing giddily at the same time. "I can't wait!" she cheered, just as Wendy finished pinning her bangs away from her face with a beautiful green flower clip.

Almost immediately afterwards, the two sisters darted out of the bedroom, only to run into Jack, who had come by to check up on them. Upon their near collision, Elsa sourly glared at him, but Anna immediately threw her arms around his slender waist.

"Jack!" she exclaimed, burying her round face into his stomach and causing the teen to laugh. Ever since Anna found out that Jack was going to be living with them, she was enthralled by the idea and quickly grew to liking him. Elsa enjoyed the fact that her little sister and Jack were on good terms, however, what she didn't enjoy was that Jack treated her differently compared to Anna. Towards her, he would act like the gentleman Elsa thought he was initially, but towards Elsa herself, he would always laugh at her or tease her or pull immature pranks. That irritated the blonde to no end.

 _'It's only a matter of time,'_ she thought to herself sourly as she reminded herself that it had only been a day since Anna had become acquainted with Jack. She had no doubts that sooner or later, he would show his true colors towards Anna as well.

Jack seemed to take notice of Elsa's grimace aimed towards him and he simply smiled handsomely at her, further irritating the young girl. "What's wrong, Ice Queen?" he asked innocently, causing Elsa to deepen her frown.

 _Of course_ \- how could she forget the _'endearing'_ nickname that he had given her after just a few days of playing in the snow together? Elsa knew that he was probably just joking that one time, but when she gave off the reaction that it annoyed her, he persisted and now she was in danger of having the nickname stick with her for life. Instead of giving him a reaction this time, she simply turned up her nose and ignored him, walking away wordlessly.

"Elsa, wait up!" Anna quickly unlatched herself from the young boy and ran to catch up to her older sister. She hobbled on her small feet and rather ungracefully grabbed at Elsa's hand, but she instantly smiled broadly when the blond returned the gesture by taking her little sister's hand in a tight grip.

Jack smiled as he followed the two girls back to the entrance hall, stifling down a chuckle when he saw Elsa shooting him deathly glares from over her shoulder. He could definitely see how protective she was of Anna and how much Anna, in turn, admired her sister. He also felt some sort of admiration at how responsible Elsa was when it came to playing the role of being the big sister. Since he arrived at the Winters' household just a week ago, he had only really seen one side of her, the side that loved whimsically playing in the snow and getting annoyed over his jokes.

However, this was a new side of her that he was seeing and Jack found himself further intrigued with the young girl he was assigned to protect.

* * *

 _Chaotic_ \- was the only word that Jack could use to describe the scene of the shopping district in downtown Arendelle. Although he was there, along with two of the other household servants, ready to help carry anything the Winters bought or to simply keep an eye on the two excited young girls, Jack nervously darted his blue eyes over to Agdar, silently questioning him to see if this really was the best idea for a family outing. It was so easy to lose someone in these crowds, much more, a child.

Before Jack could vocally say anything to him, Agdar spoke first. "Jack, how about you walk behind us? Help keep an eye on Elsa and Anna should they wander off or get lost."

"Of course, sir."

Obediently, Jack followed the family closely through the packed crowds. He kept an eye on Elsa and Anna, who walked before him, excitedly taking in the sights and sounds as they held on tightly to their parents' hands.

"Mama," Anna called out, holding onto Idun's lithe hand. "Can we go to the toy store?"

"Sure, honey."

The further they got into the center of the shopping district, the more it made sense as to why the crowds were in such disarray. There was a sales event going on, with nearly every store participating. Jack could see people carrying out bags upon bags filled with merchandise and goods, practically fighting each other for the great deals. He wrinkled his brow, wondering why the Winters would choose such a day to take their daughters out when they were normally so protectively guarded inside the estate.

"Jack…"

When he returned his attention back to the front at the sound of Elsa's frightened voice, he widened his eyes at the realization that they were completely cut off from the rest of the family. "What happened?" he asked her as she clung onto the sleeve of his dark blue parka.

"I - I don't know!" she stammered, desperately looking all around, trying to locate her family. "I was holding onto Papa's hand just now, but I couldn't hold on anymore and people walked in between us and - !"

"Okay," Jack breathed out, holding her close. "It's okay, don't panic," he said in an attempt to soothe her. He held her head against his shoulder and smiled. "We'll find them. At least you're not alone?"

Elsa nodded, but was still frightened by the sudden turn of events. It was the first time in her life that she was in such a crowded place. She felt anxious and fearful at the foreign surroundings, so she held onto Jack tightly, hoping not to lose him too as they navigated through the crowds. It was tough. Neither were tall enough to look over the heads of the adults that surrounded them and they were forced to go where the sea of people took them. However, once they found a small clearing off to the side, they stopped and Jack took the time to assess the situation.

As he glanced through a the directory posted up on a nearby wall, he noticed out of the corner of his eye, strange movement. With an eagle-like sharpness in his ice blue eyes, Jack turned his head and furrowed his brow at the sight of a man eyeing the two of them oddly. He had on a dark gray beanie with a matching beat-up hooded jacket, hardly someone you would find shopping in an upscale area like where they were. Sensing that something was off, Jack gently took Elsa's mittened hand and led her away into the opposite direction.

"Jack…?" she questioned him, before the two came face to face with another suspicious man. He had on a trench coat and was slightly better dressed than the other man, who was beginning to come up behind them.

Thinking on his feet, Jack tightly gripped the blonde's hand and told her, "don't let go," before darting back into the crowds. When he heard one of the men shouting at the other, _'get them!,'_ he knew that Elsa was definitely being targeted. Adrenaline filled his veins as he fought through the crowds, ignoring the curses several adults threw at him for bumping into them. All Jack could think about was to get Elsa to safety.

"Jack!" she called out after him. Elsa knew that they needed to escape from the strangers, but she had no idea where Jack was leading her. It felt like the opposite direction of where her parents had gone towards and that worried her greatly. "Let's go find my parents!" she urged him, only for it to fall on deaf ears.

The teen rounded a corner and slipped into a small alleyway in between two shops. The space was small and when he looked back, sure enough, he had lost the men, but he knew that they had to keep moving for they could still be under pursuit. As soon as Jack led Elsa out of the alleyway and into the back loading dock area of the stores, he went over to a large dumpster and instructed her to stay there, hidden.

Elsa had confusion written all over her face as she tried to question him. "Jack, why are we running from those men? Were they going to hurt us?"

"Just - _stay here_." He smiled, kneeling down in front of her as he gently seated her upon the cold concrete.

"But Jack - !" Elsa immediately stopped talking and drew in a sharp breath out of fear when she heard the low voices of the men in the loading dock area. The two remained absolutely still as they listened.

"Damn it! Where'd they go?"

"Find them! They couldn't have gotten far!"

Jack let out a smooth exhale and took hold of the young heiress' shoulders. "Stay here, Elsa. Okay? No matter what happens, _stay here_ ," he told her, a silent plea present in his icy blue eyes.

She swallowed harshly and nodded, fear gripping her heart. "O - Okay," she squeaked out.

He smiled, rubbing the top of her head. "Olaf and I will protect you," he said, hoping to soothe her with the mention of her imaginary snowman knight and playing this off as if it was one of their make-believe scenarios. Jack gave her a quick wink and left the hiding spot, leaving her all alone.

Elsa's bottom lips trembled slightly as she clapped her hands over her small ears, hoping not to hear anything. She promptly squeezed her eyes shut and whispered softly in a trembling voice, "Olaf...I'm _scared_."

* * *

Jack stood before the two gaunt men. They hardly seemed to pose a threat, but he kept his guard up anyways, wondering just what their true intentions were for pursuing him and Elsa. Before Jack could say anything in question, the taller of the two spoke first.

"You must be the kid bodyguard for Elsa Winters."

He frowned at the word _'kid'_ being thrown at him. Sure he was a bit shorter than some of the other fourteen year olds around, but that hardly warranted such language. "What exactly is your business with Elsa?" he questioned them with a sharp tongue. What unnerved Jack upon further realization was that they referred to him as a _'bodyguard.'_ Although Agdar, Idun, and a few of the Winters' trusted servants knew of his position, Jack was assured that it would be kept secret, not only just for Elsa, but for anyone that wished to target her.

He was her secret trump card and the fact that these seemingly ordinary thugs knew of it was highly suspicious. Jack reached around back, releasing a handheld, metal rod from the holster around his belt. With a sharp flick of his wrist, the rod extended to its full length, revealing its true form as a six foot staff. A confident grin spread itself across his face at the very thought of being able to test out the specialized weapon the Guardians presented to him the day he got his tattoo.

While the men ignored his question, they took notice of his smirk, and it irked then greatly. "Hey, kid. You better wipe that grin off your face. Just because you got a little stick to protect you, doesn't guarantee that you'll get out of this without a scratch."

Jack let out a humorless chuckle, mocking them. " _Oh_ , I intend to," he answered them.

The shorter of the two rushed forth towards Jack, letting his anger get the better of him, and launching a premature attack out of a foolish impulse. He could not even land a proper punch on the young boy, as he was suddenly met with a sharp jab to his chest. A choked gag left his throat, but Jack didn't let it stop there.

He delivered a sidekick right to the man's stomach, pushing him back. Jack turned on his heel, hoping to land a reverse roundhouse to finish him off, but was stopped when he spotted the second assailant making his move. He stopped midway and forcibly had to use his staff to block the incoming man. Jack warded them away, despite his smaller stature, and managed to somersault backwards to put some distance between them and him.

"You can't take both of us on. Why don't you just quietly give up Elsa Winters and we'll let you go without any trouble," the one wearing the beanie sneered.

"Yeah, I could do that," Jack languidly replied with a lazy shrug, "but then I wouldn't be doing my job as a bodyguard, _would I_?" His expression turned serious and cold as he asked them, "...how do you guys know I'm acting as her bodyguard? That knowledge is limited to those that are close to the Winters and you two don't look like ones that would associate with such a family."

"That isn't something you should be troubling yourself with, kid. We have our sources," the taller man said to him haughtily.

Seeing as how they weren't backing down or willing to answer his questions properly, he decided that the best thing to do was to do what he could to protect Elsa. Jack widened his stance, tightly gripping his staff as he focused in on the men before him. He readied himself, circling the two men as they followed his movements. They waited for the other to attack first, but after a few tense seconds, Jack unleashed the first strike.

He lunged forward and swung his staff at the mens' feet, hoping to knock them off balance. When they managed to dodge that with ease, they failed to realize that the attack was only a distraction and way for them to be on a weak footing for when Jack swept the floor with his leg, knocking them off balance and sending them both stumbling backwards. He wasted no time and jabbed at one of them with his staff, nailing him directly in the diaphragm and causing him to fall over onto the ground, coughing violently.

Before the other one could regain his footing, Jack firmly planted one end of the metal staff into the concrete ground and vaulted himself backwards, kicking the shorter man squarely in the chest with his entire weight. The man fell to the ground, hitting the back of his head roughly on the brittle concrete. While he didn't knock him out cold, Jack knew that it he would be unable to get up anytime soon.

Jack raised his head and saw the other assailant ready to kick him while he was vulnerable. However, the young teen was faster and he quickly managed to block the attack aimed at his head with his staff. As soon as the man's foot made contact with the metal weapon, Jack spun it halfway and jabbed the end of it into his abdomen, briefly stunning him to give the young boy an opening to land the final strike.

He kneed the man, hard, in the stomach, causing him to kneel over in pain. Jack then swiftly brought his arm down on the base of the man's neck, effectively knocking him out.

With both of the mysterious assailants disabled, Jack let out a sigh of relief, then smirked at his handiwork. He thought he did good for his first, unassisted fight. Jack spun his staff in the counterclockwise direction, bringing it back to its smaller rod form, and re-holstered it to his waist. As he straightened out his clothes, he heard the men groaning in pain, slowly regaining consciousness.

Jack laughed amusedly. "Wait 'til Bunnymund hears about this," he said, knowing that the cynical Australian had very little faith in his ability to fight.

He quickly left, knowing that the men won't stay lying on the floor for long and that Elsa must be frightened as she waited for him by herself. The teen ran over to the hiding place behind the dumpster where he had left the young girl and breathed a little sigh of relief when he saw that she had remained there, almost perfectly still. At the sound of his footsteps, Jack saw her sharply raise her head up to see him.

Startled, she asked him, "J - Jack...are the bad men g - gone?"

He nodded in response, smiling gently at the blonde. "Yup, Olaf scared them off so bad that they just ran away."

The young girl's face instantly brightened up at the mention of her beloved imaginary snowman friend. "I knew it!" she cheered, standing up.

"Yeah," Jack said with a light chuckle, taking her hand to lead her back towards the main street. "It's no wonder that he's first-in-command. He's very brave."

Elsa blinked, staring at the white haired teen for a while before breaking into a graceful grin. "Well...you helped him, right?"

"You could say that."

Elsa blushed a little, turning away from him as she spoke. "I - I guess you can be first-in-command soon. Olaf's planning to retire...so someone will need to take his place."

Jack simply laughed, amused with the conversation he was having with her. He was glad that she wasn't so scared anymore over what happened. "What made you decide that I'm worthy enough to take Olaf's place, Princess Elsa?" he asked, playing along with her imagination.

The young girl gently squeezed his cold hand. She glanced up to look at him briefly before answering his question in a soft murmur.

"Because you're just as brave as he is."


	3. A Knight's Love

**A/N** Chapter 3 reedited.

 **Marionette**

 **Chapter 3 - A Knight's Love**

 _Warnings: None_

* * *

"This isn't funny, Jack."

"I think it is."

Elsa felt the area underneath her eye twitch as she glared at him, which he deflected with a sugary sweet smile that dripped of feigned innocence. He had decided to play a prank on her - again. This time holding her dear polar bear plush that she fondly named, Olaf, hostage.

"Where is it?" she questioned him sharply.

"I have no idea what you're talking about, Miss."

"Jack..." she growled. He was testing her patience. "I need it to study for my exam tomorrow!"

"You really believe that, that plushie will give you good luck?" he snickered.

"Yes! I know it does! I can't study without it! Jack, I'm going to fail my test tomorrow, seriously. It's the exam for early acceptance into Burgess University and I need to do well on it!"

When all Jack did was shrug, Elsa let out a frustrated huff and stormed over to him. She stared up at him, directly into his eyes with her trademark icy cold glare. "Out," she ordered.

"What?"

"Get out of my room!" she shouted, grabbing him by the shoulders, turning him around, and pushing him with all her might towards her door.

He resisted, planting his feet down firmly onto the hardwood floors. "You don't need to shove!"

"And you don't need to act like an asshole!" she retaliated, grunting as she tried her best to push him - but that was easier said than done.

Had this been four years earlier, it would have been a simple task since they were nearly the same in terms of height and body type. However, as Elsa stopped growing so rapidly, Jack began changing physically thanks to puberty hitting him _like a train_. He stood at a towering 6'1 now, compared to her mere 5'6 in height. His shoulders grew broader, his only lanky arms and legs developed smooth muscles, a now prominent Adam's apple was visible on his neck, bouncing every time he spoke in his deeper pitched voice.

She hated it because he looked like the nineteen year old young man he was, but still behaved like the fourteen year old boy she had first met.

"Okay fine!" he said, sighing as he turned around to face her. "I did take your doll."

"I _knew_ it - !"

" - But I hid it and I forgot where."

" - Jack!"

"Hey, I'm doing you a favor!" he told her as he crossed his arms over his chest. "You need to learn to gain some confidence in yourself. An ugly polar bear doll isn't going to make you magically ace your test."

"It's not _ugly_ , it's just comforting to have, and _'it'_ has a name! It's _Olaf!_ "

Jack rolled his blue eyes at her, in disbelief that he was even having an argument over a stuffed animal doll that he honestly thought was ugly. He knew that he was doing her a huge favor by removing the need to rely on it. "You'll get him back - _after_ your test."

Elsa let out a frustrated cry. "You're horrible! I'm going to fail my test and it'll be your fault!"

He watched her walk away from him and towards the large, arched window of her bedroom. She stood there in complete silence, looking outside at the gray skies. Jack started to move in to apologize, but froze at the sound of her sniffling back tears.

She was crying and he could feel his heart sink a little.

"Elsa?" he asked quietly. He went up to her cautiously. "Elsa?" he repeated her name with the feeling of a rising guilt causing him to bite and release his lower lip nervously.

"...What?" she muttered, keeping her face turned away from him.

"I'm sorry," he offered up, to which she scoffed at.

"You always say that Jack."

"Yeah...but I mean it - _every_ single time." He kept his eyes on the back of her head, wondering if she was even going to accept his apology. This was the first time he had ever seen her so upset over a prank he pulled and he had pulled worse pranks in the past, and to those she would yell at him, but she would never actually cry.

When the silence deepened between them, Jack let out a soft sigh and elected to seat himself down on her bed. He stared at the young girl and gently patted the bed beside him.

"Wanna talk about it?"

"I don't want to," she answered, her voice breaking slightly.

"I know something's bothering you," he implored cautiously, "and I know it's not one of your monthly mood swings again..."

Elsa turned and shot him a dirty glare. Her eyes were already puffy and red with tears, evidence that she was crying. "Jack, _please._ " Despite her chaotic mood, she still managed to roll her eyes at what he said. "Just for once, I'd like you to leave the puberty jokes out of this."

"Sorry," he muttered apologetically. "I'm here to listen if you want." He offered her up a little smile, trying to show that he was genuine in his intentions.

She stared at him for a while, warily, but released her anger towards him as it was obvious that he was trying to make amends. Jack never wanted to intentionally hurt her anyways - Elsa knew that.

He scooted over slightly to give her ample room to sit down next to him. Jack smiled, wiping away her loose tears with the soft pad of his thumb. "I know you wouldn't get this upset over something like this, especially when I've done worse pranks."

"Like what?" she sniffled.

He chuckled, as if revisiting the fond memory. "You don't remember the one time I slipped a beetle down the back of your dress?"

Elsa glared at him, turning away while mumbling, "immature jerk. You know I hate bugs."

"I didn't know," he said in his defense. "You didn't cry then, so why now?"

She felt reluctant to tell him, but she knew that he would not stop asking her even if she avoided the question. "I..." she began slowly, "I just need to pass this exam because early admittance into Burgess would mean that I could take my college courses during my high school year. It would save so much time and I want to help father out with the corporation as early as I can." She dropped her head. "...I just...don't want to let him down."

"Why do you think you'll be letting him down?"

She kneaded her hands in her lap, nervously. "Just because," she mumbled. The seconds ticked away before Elsa finally answered him in full. With a sigh, she began, "Papa told me that he plans to let me inherit the company in full a few years after I graduate. I guess he wants to retire early to spend more time with Mama."

"Uh huh," Jack said thoughtfully.

"But - it's just...overwhelming, to say the least. I don't want to ruin the corporation that has been built up for more than five decades. Papa's is putting so much trust in me and I want to do my best to please him." Elsa dropped her head and slumped her shoulders in disappoint with herself. She sniffled, wiping away a loose tear that built up on the corner of her eye. "I know it must be silly to rely on a stupid doll as a good luck charm, but I feel like I need luck right now to pull through because I certainly don't feel like I could get by on my own skills."

Jack knitted his eyebrows together in confusion. "Seriously?" he asked incredulously.

She turned her head to look at him. "Jack," she said flatly, "Burgess U. is one of the toughest schools to get into and I'm trying to get in on early acceptance."

The silver haired teen laughed, causing her to blush in embarrassment.

"I hardly think this is a laughing matter, Jack," she said with a roll of her eyes.

"I know, I know," he said, "but you're being way too hard on yourself. If an _'immature jerk'_ like me could get in, I have full confidence that you could too."

When she didn't seem sold on what he said, Jack pulled his lips over to one side uneasily. After a brief silence, he eventually took hold of her slender hand with a newfound light dancing in his eyes. "How about I take you somewhere?" he suggested.

She widened her eyes slightly in curiosity. "H - Huh? Where?"

* * *

"Why did you bring me here, Jack? You _know_ my father's going to scold you for taking me out of the house without his permission," Elsa said derisively as Jack parked the car in the snow-covered parking lot of Burgess University.

"Can you relax?" he said exasperatedly. He chuckled when he saw her eyes narrowed at him into a sharp gaze. "It'll only be a minute. Don't worry. As for the reason I brought you here, _well_ , maybe it'll help bring things into perspective."

The young girl watched as he turned off the ignition and got out of the car. She sat there, sharply clearing her throat behind pursed lips, before stepping out as well. She was still skeptical as to why Jack brought her to her dream school, but she followed him anyways, curiosity getting the better of her.

The university was closed for winter break. With the entire campus empty, except for a few people here and there, jogging or taking a brisk walk, it provided Elsa the opportunity to take a leisurely look around the expansive campus. As she followed Jack through the snow covered walkways, she noticed that they were slowly making their way towards the clock tower in the center of the university.

Its internal bell began ringing lowly when they finally came to a stop at the base of it. Jack let out a light sigh as he tilted his head back to look at the large clock tower. He waited until the bells stopped before speaking.

"Did you know…" he started softly, "that this clock tower's dedicated to someone?"

Elsa wrinkled her brow as she came up next to him. "To who?" she asked curiously.

Jack shrugged his shoulders. "Dunno," he said, prompting the young girl to give him a deadpanned glare. The silver haired teen glanced over at her and chuckled. "By name anyway, but I do know that it was a man that dearly loved his wife and children."

"Is that why you brought me all the way out here?" she asked skeptically.

"Kinda," he answered, walking over to one of the benches. He brushed off some of the snow and took a seat on the cold wood. With a gentle smile playing upon his face, Jack told her, "thought this would be a better place to talk to you about this, rather than inside that stuffy house."

She saw him patting the empty spot next to him on the bench. As she walked over, she gave him an impatient look, wishing that he'd get straight to the point as to why he dragged her out here in the first place. Her frown deepened upon seeing Jack bend over to scoop some of the fluffy white snow into his bare hands. He formed it into a perfect ball and set it back down onto the ground.

"Jack…" she said warningly, making her agitation clear. "You know I need to spend my time studying - "

" - We haven't made a snowman in a while, have we?" he asked, cutting into her sentence.

At first, she was taken aback by the question, but she quickly set her blue eyes into a sharp, no-nonsense glare. "You know I don't have time nowadays to play."

"You should make time." Jack flashed her a toothy grin, despite her mounting annoyance. He returned his attention to the snowballs he made and stacked them up in threes. "Everyone needs downtime," he told her, "even if you are an heiress for a huge corporation."

Elsa lowered her tired eyes to the snow covered ground. She tightly clenched her fists over her knees as she told him, "I don't have time for stupid games, Jack," in reiteration. "What don't you understand about that?"

He slowly patted the snowball in his hand, dropping his gaze somberly. "...Of course I understand," he muttered, "but what good will you be if you work yourself to the point of exhaustion?"

"And what do you know about _'work'_?" Elsa heard herself turn spiteful, but did nothing to stop it. "All _you_ do is pull pranks and think everything's a joke.

Jack remained silent, causing Elsa to feel the slightest bit of guilt for suddenly blowing up on him.

"I wasn't always like this," he mused, breaking the silence. The corner of his lips turned up into a contemplative smile. "Believe it or not, I was a quiet, withdrawn kid to the point where people thought I was mute."

Even though she was surprised to hear this fact, Elsa rolled her eyes a little and told him, "I find that hard to believe." She would soon come to regret her dry remark at what he said afterwards.

"I guess so," he said with a light chuckle, "maybe it was more because none of the kids at the orphanage wanted anything to do with me. So naturally, I had no one to talk to."

She thought she felt her heart stop inside of her chest. " _Orphanage_?" she repeated softly in concern.

He nodded and looked at her in confusion before realization dawned on him. "Ah, this is the first time I'm telling you about this, right?" Jack placed the snowball he held onto the ground and gathered up some more fresh, powdered snow. "...Apparently I was dropped off at the orphanage when I was a baby. They don't know who left me there, but I was wrapped in a nice, warm blanket along with a single slip of paper that had my name written on it. My caretakers thought that whoever dropped me off at least cared about me enough to make sure I was in good hands and that I knew my name."

Elsa heard him let out a dry, humorless chuckle and she turned away from him. "...I'm sorry, Jack. I had no idea." This was the first time he had ever spoken to her about his life before meeting her. Never in her wildest dreams, would she have guessed that Jack was actually an orphan. She just assumed that Nicholas was either his grandfather or his father.

Jack took notice of how uneasy the news made her and he quickly attempted to remedy the situation by handing her the snowball he had in his hand. She jumped at the sudden cold contact, but made sure not to ruin his work. He kept his eyes on the snowball as he spoke. "It's fine," he told her, "it's not something that bothers me anymore."

"But it _did_ bother you...at some point."

"It _did_ bother me," Jack repeated quietly, releasing a soft cloud of warm vapor from his mouth as he sighed. "I never knew why I was in that orphanage until I was about age 3. That was when I knew that I was there because I had no one I could call _"mom"_ or _"dad."_ At such a young age, when you realize that you've been left all alone in this world by the people that are never supposed to leave you - _it hurts_."

Elsa could only imagine such a scenario. She nervously kneaded her hands together in her lap. The question still remained in her head, however. "I'm sorry again, Jack, but what does this have to do with me? You haven't told me anything about your life before we met. Why now of all times?"

Jack smiled at her briefly, before pulling the thick, white knit scarf over his cold lips and nose, shielding it from the icy cold air. "Because I was like you - working tirelessly to try and please people, to be accepted and loved. I did it during my time at the orphanage and I kept doing it out of habit even when Nicholas and his friends adopted me. ...Even when I didn't have to."

He turned to the platinum blond and gently held her hands in his own, as she held onto the snowball he had given her. Elsa felt her cheeks heat up slightly at the intimate gesture as she was face-to-face with the handsome, silver haired man. "J - Jack?" she stuttered.

"Nicholas and everyone else loved me even if I wasn't the best. I was so afraid of being abandoned and being left alone again, that I overdid it. I tried too hard to excel and become a _'perfect'_ child that everyone wanted. But I realized...that even if I wasn't the best, they would have loved me all the same." Jack peered up at the young girl sitting next to him. "You too."

"Huh?"

"Your parents will love you no matter what, Elsa. Your father will love you, your mother will love you, Anna will love you...no matter what," he repeated, gently squeezing her hands. His gaze seemed to fall sullenly, causing Elsa to wrinkle her brow at him. However, before she could ask him anything, Jack's expression quickly brightened up. He looked her in the eyes and smiled. " _I_ love you too."

She widened her sapphire blue eyes at him in shock and embarrassment. A hot flare of heat rushed up to her pale face, lighting it up in different hues of red as she stammered out loudly, "wh - what are you saying!?" Elsa took back her hands from his grip in such a sharp motion that the snowball she held, fell to the ground and broke apart upon impact.

He seemed to take what she said with a grain of salt, as he simply laughed her behavior off, feigning obliviousness. Jack let go of her hands and bent down to scoop up the broken snowball. "I just care about you," he elaborated, clearing up the misunderstanding for her.

Elsa's shoulders relaxed a bit, but her heart remained restless. She felt the heat of embarrassment wash over her once more, but this time, only in response to her own overreaction. "R - Right," she stammered. "That's what you meant."

Jack quirked an eyebrow up slyly and asked with a lopsided grin, "do you like me, Ice Queen?"

Her face grew red again and she quickly stood up onto her feet. "Of course not! Who would!?" Elsa immediately bit back her tongue, knowing that her statement could be taken in the wrong way. "J - Just...you know...I like you the same way. ...I care about you too," she admitted in a begrudging mumble. "N - Not in that...romantic way or anything! Definitely not!"

Jack laughed, gradually intensifying in volume and strength to the point where he was practically holding his stomach.

Elsa stood there, staring at him with the blush on her face growing darker in response. She tightly clenched her fists and snapped out, "what's so funny!?"

The young man managed to stifle down his laughter in an instant. As he wiped away a loose tear from his eye, he told her, "you don't have to deny it so adamantly." He chuckled again as he stood up from the bench.

No sooner did she find herself trapped in his tight, but warm embrace. Elsa widened her eyes as she nervously stuttered incoherent words in response to his sudden intimate gesture.

"...You are loved, Elsa," Jack told her softly, immediately changing the tone of their conversation. He smiled into her hair as he rested his hand against the back of her head. "Don't do things just to please others, because no matter what happens, the people that love you will _always_ love you."

Elsa dropped her gaze as she snuggled into his arms. She rested her forehead against his broad shoulder, feeling the cool chill of the nylon fabric of his parka against her skin as he held her. Her heart hammered away at her chest and she hoped that Jack wouldn't hear or feel it.

"That's why," he said as he pulled away from her slightly to get a look at her eyes. He gave her an endearing smile and continued, "you shouldn't stress yourself out over this exam. No matter what the outcome... your father will love you all the same."

She saw him reach into the pocket of his parka and pull out her small polar bear plush that he had taken from her previously. Elsa's eyes widened slightly as he held it out to her. "Jack…"

"All you need to do is to do your best...and believe in yourself more." He chuckled as he handed her the doll. "You don't need to rely on this doll - in my opinion anyways. You're already smart as hell."

"I - I don't know about that," she modestly replied.

Jack gave her a slightly raised eyebrow along with a smirk. "You kidding me? You've always been at the top of your class. If at anything, you're a shoe-in to be accepted for early admission."

Elsa felt a swell of pride and confidence rush through her upon hearing his words.

He let his gaze fall to the polar bear plush that was now in her hands. "Just...take it easy, okay? I'm sure Olaf here wouldn't like to see his princess so exhausted and stressed out all the time." Jack smiled at her as he brought his hands up to pull down the white beanie she wore on her head so that it covered her red ears. "I don't want to see you like this either."

She pursed her lips tightly when she felt his finger poke at her cheek. "Don't tell me what to do, Jack," she grumbled, hitting his hand away lightly.

Jack laughed. "It's just a suggestion, Ice Queen. Don't take it so seriously."

" _Suggestion_ …?" she asked, cocking her head slightly to the side.

" - you look better when you smile."

It felt as if the ever constant blush upon Elsa's cheeks wouldn't disappear any time soon; not with Jack constantly telling her such heartwarming words that tugged at her heartstrings. Whether he knew it or not, Elsa wasn't sure, but she did know that he was playing her like a fine tuned fiddle and surely enough, she found herself feeling ardently for him with each passing moment.

But she _certainly_ wasn't in love with the young man.

 _Definitely not_ \- or so she kept telling herself.

* * *

" _Wow_! That's awesome, Elsa!"

The platinum blond haired girl proudly held her head up high as she crossed her arms across her puffed out chest. She watched her little sister gush over her and the early acceptance letter from Burgess University. It was a feat that even Elsa was proud of, especially when she spent so many months preparing for the exam and several months afterwards driving herself nearly mad with anxiety for the test results. However, the fruits of her labor finally showed itself on this very day in the form of a parchment colored letter with the bold black words -

 _Dear Elsa Winters,_

 _We are happy to inform you that after careful consideration, you have been accepted into Burgess University's early admissions program..._

As soon as she read the word _'accepted,'_ the rest of the letter felt insignificant during the euphoric rush she felt immediately afterwards. _Accomplished_ \- didn't seem like an adequate enough word for what she was feeling currently.

"Papa's going to be so happy!" Anna exclaimed as she excitedly bounced in her seat, despite their family's driver's pleas for her to calm down as he drove the girls back home. The strawberry blond quickly apologized to their middle-aged driver. "Sorry, Simon," she said, grinning innocently at him through the rearview mirror. She quickly returned her attention to her older sister and handed the letter back to her. "Jack's going to be happy too! He's been tutoring you a little bit, hasn't he?"

Elsa rolled her eyes with a slight smirk. "Emphasis on _'little.'_ The only thing I'm not better than him in is science, but that was hardly covered on the exam. Burgess knows that I'm planning to enter as a business major. I'll probably never have to see another chemical formula in my life soon."

Anna fell back against the car seat with a huff. "Must be nice for both you to be so smart. Jack's good at science, you're good at math, and both of you are great at the other subjects too. I'd kill to have an A on any of my tests right now."

"You have your strengths too, Anna," Elsa gently suggested.

"I guess," the strawberry blond haired girl sighed dejectedly. She quickly picked up her mood with a smile and asked her sister, "since you're finally free from that exam now, wanna try to convince mom and dad if we could go out this weekend - ?"

"- Actually, Anna…" Elsa bit her bottom lip out of guilt. "I won't have time. Since I'll be taking high school courses along with the courses at Burgess soon, the headmaster wants me to use my spare weekends from now on to finish up some coursework."

"O - Oh…" Anna's expression fell considerably, adding onto Elsa's guilt.

"I'm sorry," were the only words she could offer up to her little sister. Elsa was well-aware of the fact that she barely spent any quality time with the young girl as of late. Ever since her father told her that she was to take over the family corporation someday, Elsa let her sense of duty drive her ambitions. All the time she had once spent outdoors playing in the snow were quickly taken up by her studies. Somedays, Anna would play outside by herself, and somedays Jack would make time out of his schedule to play with her, but Elsa slowly found herself unable to do so.

Before she could say anything else, the family car rolled up into the circular driveway of their large estate. As soon as Simon stopped the car and announced their arrival, Anna darted out of the car.

"Anna - !" Elsa found herself cut-off by the slamming of the car door in her face. She faltered, drawing back her lithe hand as she watched her little sister run up the front steps. Her blue eyes fell, saddened by how quickly the atmosphere changed between them.

Simon peered at the young girl through the rearview mirror and he removed his leather driving gloves slowly. "Don't think too much of it, Elsa," he said to her respectfully. "It can't be helped - unfortunately. You are going to get busier as time goes on."

"I know…" she replied with a defeated sigh.

Not wishing to meddle too far into the young girls' affairs, Simon kept his conversation short and simply informed her of her parents. "The master and mistress told us that they would be back later tonight."

"Yes, Papa told me that he's attending a dinner banquet with Mama."

"Mm," Simon grunted softly as he pushed open the car door. With a fond chuckle, he said, "I do hope Master Agdar doesn't drink tonight. He was insistent on driving himself and the mistress to the banquet, even though I insisted that I can drive. You know how he can't even handle the simplest of wines."

Elsa giggled into her hand. She recalled the memory of how her father had passed out after just a glass of wine during their weekend family dinners. "That's true," she responded, getting out of the car as well. "But I'm sure Papa can handle himself tonight, even if he is drinking."

"You sound so sure of yourself, Elsa," he lightheartedly commented.

She let out a sheepish laugh. "Well, despite what happened with Anna just now, I think today's a good day," she commented as she held onto her acceptance letter confidently.

* * *

At first, Elsa thought she was hearing things. When she sat herself up in her bed, heavy in a groggy daze, she thought she was dreaming, but when the muted, distant voices didn't stop even as she blinked away the sleep from her eyes, she realized that they were real. Groggily, she looked over at the digital clock on her nightstand and saw that it was nearly 3 in the morning. She wrinkled her brow, wondering who could possibly still be up at this hour.

Perhaps it were her parents.

The fifteen year old hopped out of her bed and crept towards her bedroom door. She did her best to open it quietly and poke her head out into the dark hallway. The voices sounded like they were coming from the entrance hall.

"Mama? Papa?" she called out softly, rubbing her eyes as she approached the entrance hall. As she got closer, she could hear Wendy, her maid, crying softly as well as the foreign voices of a man and woman. Thinking that it was strange, Elsa picked up her pace.

As soon as she arrived at the banister, she stopped when she saw Wendy, along with Jack, standing in the entrance hall along with two adults that were dressed like detectives. With wide, curious eyes, Elsa stared at them, trying to make sense of it all until one of the detectives noticed her standing at the balcony.

"Is she their daughter?" the female detective asked, pointing at her with a bob of her head.

She saw Jack turning around to face her and Elsa quietly walked over to the double staircase. She kept her hand flush against the glossy wooden banister. "Jack?" she asked quietly as she made her way down the stairs.

He remained silent as he approached her, an obvious look of distress on his face. "Elsa," he breathed out cautiously.

"What's going on?" she asked, her eyes flickering over from him, to Wendy, then to the detectives. "Why are they here? Where's Mama? And Papa…?"

"Mistress…" Wendy's voice cracked as she tried to hide her tears.

Her breathing grew uneven as the seconds ticked on by. Elsa continuously bounced her gaze between everyone present and finally she felt the feeling of dread consume her. "Why isn't anyone saying _anything_!?" The silence was far too deafening.

Even the detectives remained silent, unable to deliver the heartbreaking news to the young girl. They averted their gaze, as did Jack.

" _Why_ are they here, Jack!?" Elsa shouted, grabbing at his arm. He looked incredibly tired as well as he nervously glanced at her.

"Elsa…" he said, wrapping his arms around her tightly. With the strain of difficulty, he whispered out, "your parents...they - "

* * *

Elsa stared glumly at the two gravestones in front of her, both belonging to her deceased mother and father. Upon the sleek, black marble, were their names - Agdar and Idun Winters - etched in with white letters. The funeral service was long over, with many of their family friends having left already. Those that stayed behind were herself, Anna, Jack, and some of the household servants which included Wendy and Simon. Kai, Agdar's friend and current vice-president of Winters Financials, also stayed behind to look after the two girls.

They stood off to the side, while Elsa and Anna took the time to give a final goodbye to their parents - in private.

A light rain began to fall upon the earth, but it seemed like neither girls cared too much about it ruining their makeup and clothes. They were far too riddled with grief and worry to care about something as miniscule as that.

Anna fell to her knees in front of her parents' graves, crying loudly as her hot tears fell to the grass below. Elsa stood off to the side, hugging herself as she focused her attention on her younger sister. She had no idea on how to comfort her in times like this. Anna was always volatile when it came to her emotions, unlike Elsa.

"Anna…" she gently whispered out, kneeling down cautiously beside the young girl. She touched her shoulder. "Let's go home...all the other guests left and it's starting to rain -"

The strawberry blond snapped her head around to face her sister. Her eyes were widened in enraged disbelief at what Elsa suggested. "These are our parents, Elsa!" she heaved out, "how could you lump us in with the _'other guests_?' Just because they left, doesn't mean that we should leave them either!"

"Anna, you'll catch a cold if you stay out here all night," Elsa said in a firmer tone.

"Do you think I care!?" she yelled, drawing the attention of Jack, who stood nearby. Anna quickly stood up, hitting Elsa's arms away from her body. With a flaring, irrational anger, fueled only by her own grief, the younger sister stood over the older, glaring at her. Finally, her face broke into a wry grin and a humorless laugh left her mouth. "Don't try to act like mom just because she's not here anymore."

Elsa gave her an incredulous look. "I'm only looking out for you, Anna!"

" _'Looking out'_?" she asked with another dry laugh. "Since when!? You barely even spoke to me the past few years because you were so focused on being daddy's _'perfect girl'_!"

" _'Perfect girl?'_ \- I was studying to get into Burgess, you _know_ that!" Elsa shot out, in complete disbelief over what Anna was trying to argue with her over. "Papa told me a few years ago that I would eventually inherit the family corporation. I did what I had to in order to prepare!"

"Well you didn't have to if you don't want to! You could have refused him!" Anna childishly fired back.

Elsa seethed, clenching and unclenching her fists. "Like I had a choice in the matter! Since I'm the eldest one and since _you_ don't want to take responsibility for _anything,_ I had to do it! There's a reason why dad turned to me! So, sorry Anna for me being _'daddy's perfect girl',_ but I'd rather it be like that than let everything he's worked for fall to ruins!"

Anna, clearly taken aback by what her sister said to her, grew wide-eyed in shock. It wasn't until a few seconds later, did Elsa realize the callousness of her words and the familiar feeling of guilt bubbling up inside of her. She suddenly wished that she could take it all back.

"Anna -"

Wordlessly, the young girl left the gravesite, leaving her sister alone. Jack made no effort to stop her. Instead, he waited, rooted to the spot as he stared at Elsa, who seemed completely shocked at what had happened. He could hear the rain getting heavier as the minutes dragged on, with the fat droplets pitter-pattering away at his umbrella.

Elsa flinched out of surprise when she felt something heavy being draped over her head. She looked towards Jack, who had taken off his jacket for her to use as a shield against the heavy rain and for warmth.

Her blue eyes looked dull and sullen, the usual light within them fading rapidly. Jack wrapped his arm around her narrow shoulders and muttered, "we should start heading back too."

As they walked out of the private cemetery, Elsa asked him, "did...Anna already leave?"

"Yeah," he answered lowly. "She left a while ago with Simon. I let them go on ahead," he paused, "I thought it would be for the best...at least for now." Jack looked on worriedly at Elsa as they sought out a temporary shelter from the rain underneath a large oak tree. He peered over to get a look at her face. "You okay?" he asked softly.

Elsa sniffled back tears, wiping away the raindrops that cascaded down her cheeks. "I'm fine," she lied, seeing as how it was easier to do so rather than explain things to Jack. She was mentally and emotionally exhausted and all she wanted to do was go to sleep.

However, Jack didn't seem to buy it. "You don't look fine," he commented, earning him an irritated glare from the young girl.

"I'm wet from the rain and I haven't been able to get a decent night's sleep for the past few days because of this funeral. Would you think I'd look fine, Jack?" she snapped out, annoyed. For a moment, Elsa thought that he would say something back in retaliation to her unwarranted anger towards him.

"You know that's not what I meant, Elsa," he said in the gentlest of tones.

The young girl furrowed her brow at his words. It bothered her - greatly.

Jack took notice of her depressive mood and attempted to console her. "...You know, Anna's just...young," he said softly, believing that Elsa was bothered by what happened between her and her little sister. "She probably didn't mean what she said to you. You have to understand that she's - _both of you_ ," he corrected, "lost your parents."

Elsa looked up at him, some stray strands of her blond bangs clinging to her wet skin. She felt him run his hand over the smooth plain of her cheek, wiping away any remaining rain drops.

"Make amends with her," he said, "you two only have each other from now on. Fighting with each other isn't going to make things easier."

She clenched her fists tightly and asked, "what about you?"

Jack raised an eyebrow. "What about me?"

Elsa stared up at him with narrowed eyes, as if she was looking at him with a high level of scrutiny. "I have you too, don't I?" she questioned with hostility.

"Of course -"

"- You're lying," she cut in bluntly, catching him off-guard and rendering him silent. Elsa pursed her lips and glared at him, feeling more annoyed with him by the minute. She gave him the time to say something - anything, but all she heard was nothing. "Why do you care so much about me, Jack?" she asked in a soft mutter.

Unsure of what she was getting at, Jack gave her a questionable, narrowed gaze. "Elsa, I don't understand -"

" - You're _always_ nice to me. You _never_ get angry at me, no matter what I do…"

"Is that what's bugging you then?" Jack asked, "do you want me to get _angry_ at you?"

Elsa snapped her head up to face him as she tightly held herself. "You know what I mean!" she lashed out, "why is it…?" She fought to control herself as she searched for right words that threatened to spill out uncontrollably from her mouth if she didn't. "Why is it that you're the only one always by my side when even Anna chooses to leave me?" Her voice cracked under the threat of tears.

"I'm choosing to stay with you, Elsa, on my own terms - "

" - _Liar,_ " Elsa whispered, facing him with salty tears spilling from her round blue eyes. She stepped back, away from him, as she spoke. "I know you must only be here by my father's orders."

"What? Elsa, that's not true -"

" - Stop Jack," she cried, avoiding his outstretched hand. Elsa left the safety of his umbrella and found herself underneath the oak tree. With its sparse leaves, it hardly provided much cover from the rain. "Please stop lying to me," she said with a voice riddled with anguish. "I figured out you were hired on as a servant a long time ago." She laughed dryly. "And in the beginning I naively tricked myself into thinking that you were my friend."

A chilly wind blew through the cemetery, causing Elsa to shiver from how her hair and clothes were drenched in rainwater. She held Jack's blazer tightly around her small body, but it didn't help much.

"Elsa, please get out of the rain," Jack begged, moving closer to her so that she could get underneath his umbrella. He was met with more retaliation instead.

"What are you, Jack? Why is it when everyone else leaves me, you're the only one staying by my side? I know you must be a servant my father hired, but - but you hardly do anything the other servants do! You don't cook, you don't clean, you're not a chauffeur like Simon, why are you here...? Why are you always by my side!?"

Jack tightly gripped the handle of his umbrella, unable to bring himself to answer her truthfully. "...I swore that I would keep it a secret from you, Elsa," he finally murmured.

She wrinkled her brow and gave him an incredulous, wry laugh. "Swore it to who? My father? If you didn't know this by now, he's dead, Jack," she said in such a crude manner that she saw Jack grow still from her words. Immediately, the young girl bit back her tongue and regretted speaking ill of her father in the heat of the moment.

"It's for your own good," he answered calmly. Jack waited to see her response and when he saw none, he let out the breath he had been holding in and muttered, "...I'm your bodyguard, Elsa."

"Bodyguard…?" Elsa felt an ominous shiver pass through her body. "Wh - Why would I need a bodyguard? Papa said that we don't even need a security team. We're not that special...are we?" she asked, searching Jack's averted eyes for an answer.

"I don't know," Jack conceded. "All I know is that I've been hired to protect you due to your father's wishes."

Elsa's mind started going numb and she began hearing a slight ring in her ears, drowning out all other ambient noises. She shook her head in disbelief, astonished by what she heard. The denial was hitting her hard and she began wishing that she had never pushed Jack to tell her the truth about him. Was their entire friendship a sham? Were all the moments they spent together simply because he was ordered to do so? Did he ever feel anything for her?

"Elsa," Jack stepped close to her out of concern. He studied her face, reflecting a ghastly bewilderment from what she just heard.

She shied away from his touch, as if he hurt her. "Ge - Get away from me," she stuttered out with a shudder.

"You know I can't -"

"- Well, do it anyways!" she shouted wildly, eyeing him with fear flashing in her eyes. She drew in a sharp breath in realization. "I - I can do it now, right? Fire you? Papa left me and Anna everything he owned, which includes you, s - so -"

Jack shook his head, insistently trying to get her to calm down. "There's a very real threat against you Elsa. Agdar told me that the person that kidnapped you when you were just three, is still on the loose -"

" - Wait a minute - _kidnapped_?" she choked out, angrily wiping away at the tears that stained her cheeks. "I was _kidnapped_!?"

He immediately regretted his choice in words, knowing that Elsa was probably well on the edge of having a mental breakdown from the emotional stress that had been building up ever since her parents' death. "Elsa…"

"Just go, Jack," she muttered, tightly clutching at his blazer. She let out a harsh breath. "Please...just go. I don't want to do this anymore. I've been living a lie all this time and I just...don't...want to do this anymore," she reiterated it in between heaving sobs.

"Elsa...I just want to protect you -" Jack reached out to touch her shoulder, only to have her sharply turn away from him in response. He stood there evenly, feeling a pang of hurt in his chest from her pushing him away, but at the same time, he understood the reasons behind her actions. She was only fifteen and he had no doubt that she was handling much more than what some people don't even experience in a single lifetime. The sound of her soft cries deafened him, sending waves of guilt that crashed into his heart.

In front of him was a scared, vulnerable little girl that was suddenly thrust into the cold reality of the world. It was cruel and Elsa didn't deserve one bit of it.

Elsa stopped, every muscle in her body stiffening when she heard the drop of his umbrella and his strong arms wrap themselves around her cold body. "What are you…?" she breathed out, only to be cut off by him.

"- Your father may have hired me to be your bodyguard," he interrupted with a harsh exhale, "but I chose to be your friend on my own terms."

She swallowed away the lump in her throat as she tried to wiggle free from his clutches, but the more she moved, the tighter his embrace became. "Let go of me!" she eventually cried out, tears flowing down her cheeks. "I'm tired of all your _lies_! I'm tired of _everything_!" Elsa managed to free herself briefly, just enough so that she could turn around and slap him across the face, however, that did nothing to deter him.

Jack took her into his arms once more, ignoring the burning injury on his left cheek. He felt her small fists hitting his chest as she screamed into his shoulder. As her body began to quickly lose strength, Elsa fell into his comforting embrace and wept. The mere sound of her cries pained him emotionally and he squeezed his eyes shut in response, unable to say anything to her while she was in such a volatile state.

" _Why_ …!?" was all she said - over and over again, gasping for air and crying uncontrollably as Jack held her silently.

Everything came crashing down onto her - the daunting task of her eventually taking over her father's massive corporation, the strained relationship between her and Anna, the fact that they were going to have to live their lives completely alone, the fact that the two people that she loved so dearly were now gone from her life forever. A mixture of sadness and fear fueled her and Elsa held on tightly to Jack, the fabric of his dress shirt bunching up in her fists.

He didn't know how long they had stood there for, but once he heard Elsa's cries had quelled, he reopened his eyes slowly and murmured, "...your parents...Anna...they all love you very much, Elsa. Don't _ever_ forget that."

She let out a muffled whimper in response, keeping her face buried in his chest.

"I love you as well," he whispered, "that's why I'll stay by your side, not just because your father ordered me to."

Elsa blushed softly as she rested her head against him.

Suddenly, she felt as if things weren't as bad as she thought they would be.


	4. A Grand Gala

**A/N** Chapter 4 reedited.

 **Marionette**

 **Chapter 4 - A Grand Gala**

 _Warnings: Violence_

* * *

"Nervous?"

Elsa snapped out of her daze, quickly shaking her head. "Ah - no, Wendy." She let out a wry chuckle. "Sorry, I just have a lot on my mind...about tonight that is."

"Understandable," her elderly maid said with a soft laugh of her own. As she stuck a few more pins into Elsa's delicately braided hair bun, she added on, "it's your first debut into high society after all. Many of the guests at tonight's gala haven't seen you or Anna since you were children. But now -" She placed both her wrinkled hands on Elsa's bare shoulders and looked at her through the vanity mirror out in front of them. "You've both grown into beautiful young women."

Elsa blushed slightly. "Thank you," she responded modestly.

Wendy hesitated a little before gently whispering, "you look just like your mother."

The platinum blond offered up a slight smile, but felt an all-too familiar bittersweet feeling bubbling up inside of her throat at the mere mention of her deceased parents. Elsa had tried to repress the memory of their sudden, accidental deaths for her own emotional wellness, but it was easier said than done. They were her parents after all - the very people that brought her into this world and who raised her with such diligence and care.

Before Elsa could dwell upon this thought any longer, a knock at her bedroom door snapped her out of her thoughts.

"Who is it?" Wendy called out, helping Elsa put on her diamond, tear-drop shaped earrings.

"It's me, Jack," the familiar voice on the other side of the door answered.

"Ah," Wendy seemed to hesitate, darting her eyes from the door to Elsa, then back to the door.

Elsa simply laughed into her hand. "It's fine. Let him in. I'm decent anyways."

The maid strode over to the door and opened it up, revealing the silver haired young man. He was wearing a slim-fit, three piece suit, topped off with a black tie. Even though Jack expressed his distaste of wearing formal clothes many times in the past, he pulled off the look well.

"Sorry for the intrusion," he said to Wendy, then flickering his eyes over to Elsa, "but Simon said that we should leave in ten minutes if we want to get there on time. There's going to be some traffic along the way."

"Ah, I see," the maid responded. "We're just about done here -"

" - Actually, Wendy...I think I can do the rest," Elsa said with a little smile. "Anna will probably need some additional help since she picked out such a huge dress."

Wendy furrowed her brow skeptically. "Are you sure, Mistress?"

"I'm sure. I'm pretty much ready anyways."

"Very well." Wendy slightly bowed her head and exited the room. "I wish you the very best at tonight's gala, Mistress," she said with a kind twinkle in her brown eyes. "Your parents would have been proud."

"Thank you." Elsa waited until she left the room and Jack closed the door behind him. The platinum blond let out the breath she had been holding in with a giant heave of her shoulders.

Jack chuckled as he approached her. "No pressure, right?"

She gave him a sour look before averting her eyes back to her vanity mirror. "Tell me again why I decided to accept the invitation for tonight's event?"

"Uhhh…" Jack drawled out as he thoughtfully looked up. "Because you're a stickler for punishment?"

Elsa rolled her eyes at him before breaking into a dry laugh.

He smiled gently at her and asked, "you're not thinking about backing out, are you?"

"And bring dishonor to my family's name by going back on my word?" Elsa nervously wrung her hands together in her lap, then resorted to smoothing out the cream-white fabric of her slim, sheath long dress. She grew quiet for a while before continuing. "I'm just afraid that I'll mess up," she confessed under her breath. "So many of our family friends will be attending the gala tonight and many of them are expecting me to be someone that is capable of handling my father's corporation."

"And you can," Jack answered with a raised eyebrow. "What's the problem?"

She dropped her gaze. "...Ever since the funeral, Kai has told me that there were many attempts to try and take the corporation from me. Many people tried to convince him, as vice-president, to hand over the reigns to them. Kai's just acting as the CEO for my father's corporation until I turn 21, but hearing all this shows me how many people want this corporation for themselves...and how little faith they have in me to run it." Elsa paused, locking eyes with the young man. "It's more or less the feeling that everyone in the corporate world is already looking down on me, Jack."

"Hey," he said, kneeling down in front of her so that he could be at eye-level with her. Jack gave her his signature, confident smirk and told her, "who's the one that managed to graduate Burgess - with honors - at the age of eighteen?"

Elsa rolled her eyes and shied away from him out of embarrassment. "Oh, not this again, Jack."

"Who's the one that managed to get accepted into the Master's program immediately after graduation?" he asked, leaning forward even more, prompting her to plant a hand upon his forehead and gently shove him away. Jack laughed at her obvious embarrassment. "Hey, I'm just stating facts. They're all the things that you've accomplished so far and they should count for something."

She sighed, hugging herself loosely. "You're right…I shouldn't be thinking so negatively over this. It hasn't even started, has it?"

"Definitely not," Jack replied with a confident grin. He looked towards her vanity and saw the matching necklace she was to wear to complete her outfit. The delicate, diamond necklace shimmered beautifully as he took the silver chain in his hands. He helped her up onto her feet and carefully placed the piece of jewelry around her thin neck. "You'll do fine," he reassured her. "Even if you mess up tonight, no one can take the throne from its rightful queen."

Elsa gently touched the necklace after he finished fastening the two ends together. She let out a short sigh, as she allowed a small smile to spread across her heart-shaped face. "...Thanks, Jack," she said in earnest. "You always seem to know what to say."

He smiled back at her as he extended out his hand. "Well then, shall we, Miss Winters?" he asked, bending his back a little to give a slight bow. Jack let his smile turn into a boyish grin as he gave her a charming wink.

At this she stifled down a giggle. "You're so lame," she said as she took his hand.

"But you're the one taking me as your escort for tonight. What does that make you?" Jack suggested with a playful smirk.

"Like I have a choice," she responded with lighthearted scoff. Elsa returned his smirk with one of her own and said, "let's just try to get through this night without any incidences, okay?"

"Yes, ma'am," he said teasingly, earning him a light slap on the shoulder.

* * *

"Our first debut into high society!" Anna exclaimed, clapping her hands together as she sat beside Elsa in the backseat of their luxury sedan. "I wonder who we'll meet there! Maybe a handsome guy!"

Elsa giggled at her sister. "You do know that a lot of the guests at the gala are going to be old men? Probably as old as grandpa was. I know you're into older guys, but not that old."

The strawberry blond pouted, crossing her arms over her chest. "Gross. That's not fun…"

"Do you really want a boyfriend that badly?"

Anna shrugged a little. "It'd be nice to just have someone I could call my own. Not like being single's a big deal, but...it'd just be nice to go on dates and spend time with each other. I mean, I do go on dates, but I doubt they actually love me for me, you know? I'd just like to experience love for once." She quickly widened her eyes and reassured Elsa, "n-not that you don't love me or anything! I know you do! Even though we don't really talk as much as before!"

Elsa laughed into her hand. "I know. It's a different kind of love you want." She paused, looking at her little sister and sharing in an awkward silence with her mutually before she softly said, "...we've...drifted apart the past few years, haven't we? After our parents died -"

"Mm." Anna hugged herself, staring out the window and watching downtown Arendelle go by. "Elsa...I'm sorry," she eventually muttered. When she saw the bewildered expression upon her older sister's face, she elaborated, "I was being irrational that day. It's just...it hurt, you know? Their deaths came out of nowhere and I wasn't emotionally prepared for any of it." She looked over to Elsa once more and gently took her hand in hers. "Sorry," she repeated, "I know that you were looking out for me - our family - in your own way. I was just too frustrated to realize any of that at the time."

"It's not your fault at all, Anna," Elsa gently consoled. "I shouldn't have let things escalate to that point that day. I had to be the mature older sibling, but I let myself get carried away by my own emotions."

The younger sister laughed wryly. "I guess we're both at fault then?"

"Seems like it," Elsa said in response, followed by a soft giggle. She switched the position of their hands so that hers was now resting on top of Anna's. Giving it a light squeeze in silent reassurance, Elsa was happy some of the tension between them disappeared. She knew that the strain in their relationship after their parents' funeral had bothered Anna a great deal as well.

"Let's just have fun tonight," the blond gently suggested. "Get rid of all of these bad feelings between us and start fresh. How's that sound?"

Anna's eyes lit up and she nodded in exuberant joy. "Yeah! I'd like that!"

The two sisters shared in a moment of innocent laughter, only to be broken by the younger's curious question.

With a raised eyebrow, Anna asked, "were you being serious though? About the guys, I mean. Will there seriously only be really old grandpas attending?"

"Anna -"

"What? It's a legit question!"

* * *

The gala was being held at one of Arendelle's premiere art galleries and it was certainly a noteworthy building. The entire main structure was constructed out of glass and shaped in the form of a spire. It was lit up with massive, colored lamps that cycled through a multitude of hues every few minutes. The smaller, connected buildings were also decorated with lights and intricate ribbons, giving off a very festive look even though it was only the beginning of November.

Elsa took all the sights and sounds in as soon as she stepped out from the car. Immediately she felt her nerves getting the better of her and she suddenly wished that she could just go back inside the car for the rest of the night.

She tightly fastened the button to her white, faux fur cape so that her bare shoulders were shielded from the cold night air. As she heard Simon helping Anna out from the backseat, she felt someone grab her arm lightly, causing her to flinch in surprise.

"Jack," she breathed out in relief when she saw that it was him. "Don't do that," she said pointedly.

"Do what?" he asked in feigned innocence.

"Sneaking up on me. I thought you were some of my father's friends. I wasn't ready to interact with someone so early on into the party."

Jack stifled down a chuckle. "You're not getting cold feet now, are you Ice Queen? Even after that pep talk I gave you back at home?"

She frowned at him. "It's definitely different from just talking about it versus actually being here."

"Well, if it's of any reassurance to you, at least you won't be alone."

Elsa knitted her eyebrows together as she gave him an inquisitive look. "You weren't serious about being my escort, were you?"

"I guess I wouldn't say 'escort,' more like, your bodyguard." Jack didn't bother divulging any further, even when she asked. His tone grew low, almost ominous, as he leaned in close to her ear. "It really isn't the time or place to tell you this," he whispered. "Just make sure you stay within my line of sight at all times."

Before Elsa could ask anything else, she was interrupted by Anna, who had finally gotten out of the car.

"Wow!" she exclaimed, completely taken aback by the gala. "This looks amazing!" Anna gushed over the extravagance. She ran off ahead of Elsa and Jack, but turned around after a few steps. "Come on, you slowpokes! Are we going in or not!?"

Elsa and Jack shared a look before the latter remarked, "at least someone's excited."

The young woman let out a dry chuckle as they followed the bubbly red head. "Anna's always been a social butterfly. You know that. She even danced with one of our father's friends at the last party we hosted. Remember?"

"More than I care to," Jack responded with a playful eye roll. " _Weaselton_ , right?"

" - _Weselton_."

" - Ah - close enough."

Elsa lightly hit him on the arm. "Play nice," she warned him, "he's going to be attending tonight's gala too and I don't want people complaining that my bodyguard - _slash_ \- escort is a rude, sarcastic ass."

"Aw and here I thought I wasn't," Jack answered with a snicker, earning him another light slap to the arm.

"I'm already nervous enough as is, Jack," she whispered under her breath as she handed off her gala invitation to the doorman. As soon as he checked off that she was present, along with Anna and Jack, they walked into the gorgeously decorated lobby. "Just please don't add another headache to this evening," she pleaded with him.

Jack sighed, loosening his necktie as if he was uncomfortable. "Whatever you say, Ice Queen."

Elsa glared at him and grabbed at his loosened tie, giving it a sharp yank to bring it back up to his neck. He made a little gagging noise, but she ignored it. "No looking like a slob either," she dictated firmly.

Irate, Jack fixed the tie so that it wasn't practically choking him. "Yeah, yeah, I got it," he grumbled.

It was then that Anna suddenly clapped her hands together excitedly and exclaimed, "look, Sis! They have a chocolate fountain!" The young teenager squealed as she rushed off without warning.

"Anna!" Elsa called out, only to find that her sister had already disappeared within the sea of guests. She made a move to go retrieve her, but was stopped by Jack.

"Let her go," he said.

The blond frowned at him in confusion. "But -!"

" - Gala seems pretty safe, at least for her. As for you, however, you don't leave me sight."

Elsa looked annoyed with him, but when she opened her mouth, demanding an explanation, she was cut off by a grandiose voice that welcomed her.

"Miss Winters!" the all too familiar voice of Duke Weselton called out. He approached them with a slight bounce in his step and a bright twinkle in his dark eyes. As soon as the short, middle-aged man stood at eye level with Elsa, he extended out his arm with a stiff poise. "Pleasure to meet with you again!" he said with a nasally tone.

"Of course," she answered him, taking his hand gently. Elsa flashed him a warm smile, trying to hide her uneasiness. "Pleasure is all mine, Mister Weselton -"

"No, no," he chuckled kindly, "please call me Duke. The lovely daughters of Agdar and Idun have more than enough permission to refer to me on a first name basis."

Elsa giggled nervously in response. "I - I see."

"Hm, in an hour or so, the orchestra will start playing in the ballroom. Could I interest you in sharing a dance with me, Miss Winters?"

"Ah, well." She hesitated, but quickly gave in. "I'd be delighted to."

"Excellent!" he exclaimed. "I will be looking forward to it. Ah, for now, I will need to go greet some of the other guests. Please excuse me."

As soon as he left, Elsa heard Jack snicker from behind her. She snapped her head around and sourly glared at him. "Don't- say - anything," she growled under her breath.

"I don't even think I can," Jack chuckled, trying hard not to burst out into laughter as he closely followed the young heiress. "The situation spoke for itself."

"Aren't you supposed to be protecting me from situations like that?" she asked as she quickly tried to escape the crowds and filter out into one of the more spacious hallways inside the gallery. Swiftly, she spun on the heel of her sparkling silver sandals to face the young man, nearly causing him to collide with her. "Now I'll be stuck dancing with Weselton soon and who knows how awkward that'll be," she mumbled.

"Would you relax?" Jack said exasperatedly. He broke into a smile as he reached around behind her, releasing her thick french braid from its tight bun in one fluid motion.

"Hey -!" she protested. " _What the_ -?" Elsa stammered out of irritation. "Wendy spent so much time doing my hair, Jack!"

Before her anger could mount any higher and before they attracted too much attention, he took hold of her braid with the lightest of touches and brought it over so that it rested limply over her left shoulder. "Just because an old guy asked you out for a dance, doesn't mean that you have to keep sporting that old hairstyle." As soon as he stopped chuckling, Jack's lighthearted playfulness disappeared, only to be replaced by a darker, serious tone. "He may be a family friend, but I'm not taking any chances," he attempted to explain.

Elsa narrowed her eyes at him in suspicion. "Did...the Guardians say something about the gala?" she asked, fully aware of the tight-knit organization that Jack worked for.

"Not in particular," he stated, "but it's a large gathering of affluent people and, not to mention, your first time attending one of these things after your parents died. North told me to be on my guard. If there is a threat, you're most likely their main target, not Anna, so don't worry about her."

She crossed her arms over her chest and leaned away from him. "You're making it sound so ominous."

"Just...be on your guard. Nothing should happen tonight, but you can never be too sure. Better safe than sorry, right?" he said with a smile. Jack took her braid in his hand again and let it run past his fingers slowly. "At least with this hairstyle, you'll be easier to spot if we ever get separated. Did you see how many women here had their hair in a bun? It's like they were all told to dress the same way for tonight."

She touched her braid and asked deadpanned, "is that why you suddenly decided to mess up my hair?"

"I made it better," Jack responded smugly.

"You _still_ messed it up," she argued, pushing back her bangs so that they no longer framed her small face.

"Details, Ice Queen. _Details,_ " he said with a click of his tongue. "I just think you look cute with your hair down."

She failed to offer up any sort of response. Instead, her cheeks flared up and as soon as she could feel the rush of heat invade her face, Elsa stormed past him, heading back into the main part of the gallery. "L - Let's just get back to the gala," she muttered, avoiding his eyes. He would slip-in embarrassing statements like that once in awhile and it drove her crazy - in a _bad way._ She disliked how she would react to them so sensitively, even when it seemed like he said it in such a nonchalant manner.

Her heart thumped wildly inside of her chest and Elsa caught herself glaring at the ground because of it. _'How annoying…'_

* * *

It was only two hours into the gala and Elsa already found herself wishing that she could go back home. The only reason she willed herself to stay was because of the obligation she had to meet as the gala's most "valued" guest. It felt like she shook hands with practically every one of the guests. Some she recognized as friends of her father and mother, while others she had absolutely no idea as to who they were. As exhausted as she was, Elsa kept her composure, fully aware that she was there as the future head of the Winters household and CEO to her father's corporation.

"Tired?" she heard Jack tease from behind.

Elsa turned her head to face him and she irately drummed her fingers against the surface of the large banquet table in front of her. "No," she said pointedly, "you know what I'm doing."

"Hiding from _Weaselton_?" Her silence was the only answer he needed. With a chuckle, he told her, "well if it's of any reassurance to you, he's busy dancing with another group of ladies. They all seem smitten with him."

Her eyebrows twitched upwards and she broke into a stifled giggle. "Really?"

"Yep," he answered her with a broad grin, "you got nothing to worry about."

Elsa drew back a little at the sight of him extending out a hand towards her. "Uhh," she breathed out, unsure of what he was doing. "What -?"

"Wanna dance?" he asked her with a playful smile.

She gave him a disgruntled, narrowed gaze in response. "While I'm going to look past the fact that this is completely out of the blue, I thought you'd be too busy tonight being my bodyguard."

"Yeah, but...I'm also here as your escort, aren't I?" He smirked at her as he took her hand, unwilling to take no for an answer. As he led her out to the dance floor, he told her, "besides, you look like you could use a little bit of fun."

As soon as they reached the main ballroom floor, Elsa flushed a deep cherry red when he pulled her in close by the waist. "Wa - Wait a minute," she silently protested, "I can't dance. I don't know the first thing about ballroom dancing."

"Neither do I," he admitted with a sheepish grin.

They took their first, awkward steps, trying to match the tempo of the orchestra's music and trying to mimic the movements of the other couples since they had no idea what they were doing. After a couple of failed attempts of stepping on each other's feet multiple times, they both resigned at dancing with proper form and simply resorted to swaying back and forth in rhythm.

"Sorry," Jack mumbled after a while.

Elsa glanced at him, but didn't raise her head. "Huh?"

He looked apologetic. "They hurt don't they? Your feet - I kind of stepped on them...a lot."

She looked up at him and quickly shook her head. "What? _No_!" Elsa could tell that he was regretting the idea of pulling her onto the dancefloor. She offered up a shy smile and stammered back, "I - I'm sorry too. I stepped on you a lot more than you did."

Jack chuckled softly, using the hand he had on her waist to bring her in closer. "You did? I couldn't tell," he stated.

From the shortened distance between them, Elsa promptly bowed her head down again, avoiding his gaze.

"We can go sit down again if you're tired or if it hurts," he gently suggested. Jack tried to get a better look at her face, but when she avoided him, he went on to assume that she was in pain and she wasn't telling him of it.

Elsa glanced up at him shyly. "I - I'm not in pain...or tired...it's just…" She couldn't bring herself to say it. Elsa was having a hard time facing him at the current time, partly out of embarrassment, but mostly because she felt downright shy. This wasn't the first time she felt this way around him, but it certainly did bother her after every occurrence.

The way her heart pounded against her chest every time he said something teased her, said something flirty, or did something heartwarming. The way her stomach lurched when they would accidentally brush up against each other. The way her hands would get clammy just from maintaining eye contact with him - like now.

She nervously fidgeted with his hand, lacing and unlacing her fingers with his in order to let the sweat on her palms disappear before he'd take notice. Sensing that he was still concerned over her, Elsa gathered up the courage to raise her head to face him. With a lovely rosey red tint to her normally pale cheeks, she squeaked out, "I'm fine. This is just...nice."

"...O - Oh…" Jack immediately noticed the shy expression she wore, momentarily catching himself thinking that she looked adorable, and he blushed as well. "Yeah," he awkwardly breathed out, "this is nice." It finally began to register to him of just how intimately close they were to each other.

As they swayed from side-to-side aimlessly, Elsa took this opportunity to really study his face. She never noticed how flawless his pale skin was, not a single pimple or scar in sight. She also never noticed just how masculine his face had become over the years, while still maintaining a certain level of youthful, handsome beauty. His light blue eyes still carried a playful, innocent light, but they also had a smoldering charisma behind them. The lanky, short young boy that she had met nearly nine years ago had grown into a broad-shouldered, tall young man right before her eyes and she began admitting to herself that she found Jack to be attractive - both physically and personality-wise.

Despite all this, Elsa convinced herself that all she had was a simple crush on him. A simple crush that she had to get over soon; the sooner, the better. Not only did he ever refer to himself as only her 'friend' or 'bodyguard,' but he never made any sort of romantic advances towards her. She'd be setting herself up for heartbreak because it was clear as day that Jack Frost wasn't in love with her.

The gorgeous string ensemble ended, bringing their dance to a gradual stop. The guests in the ballroom all applauded the orchestra as they gave a beaming bow before moving onto the next set of songs. Elsa and Jack pulled away from each other, giving each other a nervous glance before breaking into an awkward laugh.

"That wasn't so bad," she told him with a giggle, holding a loose hand over her mouth and concealing her ruby red lips modestly.

Jack chuckled, revealing the tips of his pearly white teeth as he did so. "Yeah, if you get past us stepping over each other's toes."

Elsa laughed. "I had fun regardless." She nervously tucked a lock of platinum blond hair behind her ear and looked at him through her eyelashes before whispering to him, "...thanks, Jack. F - For the dance, I mean."

He felt a soft heat engulf his face. "Uh, yeah...n - no problem. You know...like you said, it wasn't that bad. Maybe - _uhm_ \- we could try it again -?" Jack stopped when he felt a light hand on his shoulder. He turned around at the sudden touch and immediately his expression changed into that of cold shock.

"Sorry," a petite, green haired woman said with a sweet smile. She looked towards Jack, then towards Elsa. "Could I step in for a dance with him?"

Realizing that she was asking her, Elsa widened her eyes after a few seconds, and stammered out uneasily, "u - uhm, I suppose -"

" - Thank you!" she replied with delight. "I'll be sure to bring him back, darling!" Without another moment's hesitation, she whisked Jack away by the arm, leaving Elsa standing there by herself in confusion.

Jack seemed annoyed with the eccentric-looking woman as they exchanged a few words before she awkwardly made him dance with her. Elsa wondered if he knew her.

"...Excuse me?" she heard a shy, male voice from behind. Elsa turned around to meet eyes with a tall, brown-haired young man. His kind hazel eyes seemed to catch the indoor lights beautifully as he looked down at her. With a handsome smile, he held out his hand and asked, "could I ask you for a dance, Miss Winters?"

Elsa's awkwardly accepted, unsure if it was okay to dance with another person due to the warning Jack gave her. He seemed harmless enough, surely it would be fine. "Yes, of course," she told him politely, taking his hand and letting him take the lead in the dance.

* * *

"Tooth, what are you doing here?" Jack whispered under his breath, clearly annoyed with her presence. He narrowed his eyes at her when she sheepishly laughed in response. "I thought I told you guys that I could handle this myself."

"Never hurts to have another set of eyes," she replied with a lighthearted giggle to which Jack responded with a deadpanned glare.

As he followed her lead in the simple waltz, he asked her, "how did you even get in? It's invitation only."

Toothiana gave him a lopsided smile. "You think we regard ourselves as a high-ranking organization for nothing, Jack? Manny pulled some strings to get an invitation."

With a scrutinizing look, Jack asked, "it's just you here, right? _No one_ else?"

"I would have liked to come here with Bunny, but he said he hates these black tie events," Toothiana said with a defeated sigh.

He said nothing back to her, silently thinking to himself that at least Toothiana was here instead of the hot-blooded, Australian man. Jack and him were like oil and water. They could exist alongside each other on mutual terms, but they could never mix.

Jack made sure he didn't step on Toothiana's long cocktail dress as they glided together across the ballroom floor. "Whatever. As long as he or the rest of the Guardians aren't here, I guess it's fine." He flickered his eyes over to where he had left Elsa and saw her dancing with another man. "Tooth," he muttered lowly, drawing her attention over to them.

She casually spun her and Jack around, and glanced over at the other couple. "It's fine," she answered him casually. "He doesn't seem like a threat."

"But -"

"Or are you jealous that she's dancing with someone else?" Toothiana giggled as he blushed and averted his eyes away. "I'm just teasing." She kept her hand tightly clasped with his as she explained calmly, "we're still close enough to act if he were to harm her. You have your gun, don't you?"

Jack narrowed his eyes at her. "You know that the security here would have kicked me out if they caught me with one. I didn't even want to take the risk since Elsa placed so much importance on tonight's event."

Toothiana tilted her head slightly as she peered up at him from the corner of her eyes. Her pink irises flickered imploringly. "Then are you confident in using your modified staff? You barely had any practice with the additional functions Sandy implemented."

" - I can handle it," Jack cut in stubbornly. "It's not that hard to master."

The green haired woman chuckled as the song began to transition into a new one. Signalling the end of their dance, she gave his shoulder a light pat as she pulled away. "Just be careful with it," she warned. "Don't let your confidence become arrogance."

* * *

Throughout the dance she shared with the unknown man, Elsa could not help, but let her mind wander to who exactly was the woman that had so brazenly asked Jack for a dance. She seemed much older than her and him, but she still looked very much youthful at the same time. The blond assumed that it was because of the extravagant makeup and colored hair.

"I apologize if I was interrupting you and your date," the brunette man said as he led the dance.

"Ah, no, it's fine," Elsa offered up a kind smile. "He's...not really my date," she confessed.

The young man seemed delighted to hear the news, although he kept up his composure despite it. "I see," he replied, holding her small hand tighter. He flashed another handsome smile at her as he said, "I'm sorry, I never really introduced myself, did I?" He chuckled. "My name's Edwin Lehner. You can just call me Edwin," he said shyly.

Elsa gave a nod of acknowledgement. "Edwin, then," she said, testing the name on her tongue. "Oh, my name's -"

" - Elsa Winters," he finished for her, earning him a raised eyebrow from her. Quickly, he explained himself. "You're...quite the valued guest here at tonight's event and frankly...I've had my eye on you for the entire evening." He admitted while blushing like mad.

At this confession, Elsa felt her own cheeks heat up. "We - Well," she stammered, averting her eyes as she spoke. "Thank you," she responded uneasily.

Edwin tried to laugh it off. "I know it must sound extremely creepy, but...you're quite stunning, Miss Winters. I had no idea that the future CEO of Winters Financials would be such an icon of beauty. Surely you must have a line of men waiting to date you."

Elsa laughed dryly. "Hardly," she answered, "I've never dated anyone. Never really had the time...plus, no one really asked me out in the first place. Not that I would have accepted."

He blinked at her, as if in disbelief before he broke into a soft laugh. "Yes, you seem like a woman very strong in your convictions. I would imagine that it would scare off any potential suitors. I'll admit," he continued, "I too, was a bit scared to approach you for a dance. I wasn't sure if you would say 'yes' or if you would even be up for dancing, but when the other guy asked you first, I took the chance to ask you after him."

She could tell that he was extremely nervous, but flattered that she was dancing with him. He seemed to have good, innocent intentions, although incredibly awkward. "Well, I suppose I'll have to say thank you for your willingness to approach me," she responded with a modest smile.

Edwin simply smiled gently, breaking into a wispy laugh. As the current song came to an end, they pulled away from each other, mutually deciding to end their brief dance together. However, before she could take her leave, Elsa felt him take hold of her hand once more.

"Please," he practically begged with his round hazel eyes, "could I possibly take you out on a date?"

Unsure of what to say, Elsa stammered unintelligently for a moment before responding. "This is so sudden, I'm sorry...I...don't know what to say -"

" - You don't have to answer me right away, of course, but I would greatly appreciate the chance if you would be so kind." Edwin took out his phone from his dress pants and with a few swipes of his thumb across the clear screen, he held it out to her. "I would at least like to keep in contact with you."

She took his phone, seeing no harm in doing so. He was awkward, but he was a manner gentleman that seemed genuinely interested in her. What would it hurt?

Elsa quickly punched in her phone number into his address book and handed the phone back to him. She smiled as his face lit up with glee.

"I'll text you after the gala so that you have my number as well!" he exclaimed, thanking her before hastily excusing himself.

As Elsa gently waved him off, she found herself reunited by none other than Jack.

"Had fun?" he asked as they walked off the dance floor together.

"Did you?" she implored with a raised eyebrow. "You looked like you knew her - that oddly dressed woman."

"I guess you could say that." The silver haired man chuckled. "Were you watching us?" he asked back, prompting her to sharply turn her head away from him.

She felt the heat of embarrassment engulf her face as she stuttered out, "it's kind of hard not to miss her."

"True," Jack answered jokingly, shoving his hands into the pocket of his black pants as they made it out to the large rose garden behind the art gallery. There were several dozen white marble sculptures placed here and there amidst the rose bushes. Several gala guests were taking a stroll through the gardens as well, observing the statues as they were artistical masterpieces.

Elsa and Jack however, went off to the side of the gardens and took a seat on one of the marble benches.

"You didn't answer my question still," he told her.

She widened her eyes. "Huh?"

He sighed, using his arms so that he could lean back and relax. "Did you have fun with him?" he asked again.

Elsa furrowed her brow, wondering why he was pushing that question, but she answered him anyways. "Yeah...I suppose. He was kind of awkward...it felt even more awkward than when we were dancing, if you could believe it or not. I enjoyed my dance with him though," she said, topping it off with a feather-light laugh. Elsa pursed her lips, in curiosity, as she glanced at him, wondering why he had fallen silent. He seemed annoyed.

"That's good," he responded, despite his obvious resentment.

Was he jealous?

 _'No way,'_ Elsa told herself. She was sure that he didn't like her back so he had no reason to be jealous. ...Right? _'He must be annoyed by something else, maybe with that woman from earlier,'_ she convinced herself. Jack would never get jealous over something as petty as her dancing with another man.

As if he could hear her thoughts, Jack explained himself. "I'm only asking because you can never be too careful. Like I said before, you're a target...you always will be no matter what."

The blonde dropped her head so that she was staring at her hands in her lap. "...Right…" she muttered, scolding herself for even toying with the childish jealousy idea. Jack was her dedicated bodyguard and despite their close friendship, she knew that it would be foolish to think that it would evolve past that stage.

Jack glanced at her, sensing her discomfort, and he quickly added on, "I'll protect you. Don't worry," he reassured her laxly.

Elsa turned her head to look at him. She parted her lips slightly, drawing in a sharp, silent breath as she did so. "I'm not worried about that at all...I know you will," she whispered.

"Then why do you still look worried?"

A constricting feeling tightened up her throat. Elsa found herself unable to answer him properly. Knowing that the reason behind her crestfallen state was directly and indirectly because of him, she kept her mouth shut, fearing that if he knew, it would destroy her fickle pride. Not to mention, Jack was oblivious, but he wasn't an idiot. He would most likely find out about the schoolgirl crush she had on him and if he did find out, her pride wouldn't be the only thing that would be broken.

It wasn't something Elsa ever wanted him to know. It would completely ruin the friendship she had with him and they would be forced to a strict bodyguard/mistress relationship. It was something she did not desire.

"Sorry," Elsa laughed off, concealing her true feelings behind a clever smile. "I'm just tired."

Jack still looked concern over her, despite her answer.

She ceased her laughter gradually and gave him a content smile. "Really. You know how I'd much prefer being alone than at a social place like this. It's draining." Elsa brought both her hands up to touch her braid. She gently ran her hands over her silky locks and admitted in a soft-spoken voice, "as much as I liked dancing earlier...I like being out here - with you. It's nice and quiet, don't you think?"

His gaze dropped, feeling a bloom of heat color his cheeks at her words. "Y - Yeah," he fumbled out in a lower pitched voice than usual. Jack quickly cleared his throat, trying very hard not to show that she unnerved him with her unexpectedly affectionate statement. Elsa seemed to have that effect on him - _a lot._

Jack nonchalantly glanced at her, with the glance turning into an ardent stare when he realized that she wasn't looking at him. As she looked up at the night sky, he took notice of how beautifully the moon's light was illuminating her features. Her soft jawline, her small nose, plump, but petite lips, her softly waved blond hair, and the way the light caught her sapphire blue eyes at that moment made him liken her to the paintings of angels in the art gallery.

It was silly, even he had to admit, but Jack was at a loss of how to describe her. He's had the pleasure of watching her grow from a stubborn young girl to a beautiful young woman that occasionally made butterflies flutter uncontrollably inside his stomach. She had matured wonderfully over the years, both physically and mentally, and Jack knew that if he had a _'type'_ it would be her.

However, he knew that he shouldn't fall in love with the young heiress. He was her bodyguard, a friend at most, and that was the way it should stay. It was for the best.

Sighing to clear his drifting thoughts, Jack pushed himself off of the bench and stood up. He saw her looking up at him curiously. "How about we go back to the party?" he suggested. "It's getting cold out here."

Elsa smirked at him. "The cold's bothering you, Jack? How ironic," she stated in reference to the name he coincidentally shared with the fabled winter spirit. This earned her a dry glare from him.

"Spoken like a true ice queen," he grumbled, holding out a hand for her to take.

She giggled lightly as she took his offered hand. Just as she got back up on her feet, there were a series of loud gunshots that pierced the otherwise tranquil atmosphere of the gala.

"Gun! He's got a gun!"

Almost immediately, there was the sound of a crowded panic. Screams resonated throughout the air as the guests began to rush out from the art gallery, all of them seeking safety outside. As a flood of guests rushed into the rose garden, Jack took Elsa's hand tightly and ran away from the major exit.

"Jack!" she called out after him, desperately trying to keep up with his pace while trying to not get her heels stuck in the dirt. "Anna," she said in a strangled voice, as she tried to catch her breath, "she's...she's still inside the gallery somewhere."

He held on tightly to her hand, preventing her from going anywhere. "She may or may not be. For all we know, she could have already fled with the other guests. We can't go back for her now."

"But -"

Jack looked her directly in the eyes and told her, "my first and only priority is to get you out of here safely."

Unable to say anything back in response, she simply nodded, and decided to follow his lead. Jack seemed to know where he was going as they ran further away from the chaotic crowds. By the time the approached the side entrance, which was partially concealed with a few ivy vines, they could hear the muffled sound of approaching police sirens.

Before Jack could do anything to open the gate, he froze upon hearing the sound of a loaded gun.

"Don't move. Hands where I can see them," the gruff male voice ordered.

Jack turned. He quickly strode up to Elsa's side and held out his arm protectively in front of her. With a gentle touch, he guided her so that she stood behind him, out of harm's way. With a cold glare, he met eyes with the man. He was dressed in a sharp suit with his hair combed back in a clean, slick style, making him just as ordinary as any of the other gala guests. In his outstretched arm, he held the black handgun, which caused Jack to assume that this man was the mysterious shooter that had caused this chaos.

His index finger teased at the trigger as he sneered at them. "Didn't you hear me or do you want to die that badly?"

Jack stood his ground and remained silent towards the unknown man. He stood a step back and Elsa mimicked him. They were in a tight spot and he made no sudden movements, afraid that in doing so, she would be harmed.

"Well?"

The bodyguard grit his teeth at the sight of two others joining him, a man and a woman. All three were dressed like normal gala attendees, hardly menacing, at least until they pulled out their concealed guns as well.

Elsa shivered at the sight of three guns aimed at her and Jack. Her heart sped up within her chest, a tightness taking hold of her nerves. Jack had always warned her about threats, but this was the first time she had ever faced it directly in the eyes. It was frightening to say the very least.

"Elsa," she heard Jack mutter under his breath, "stay behind me."

"Jack…?"

She saw him unbutton his blazer and reach around his back. Her eyes flickered to his hand, which disappeared underneath the black coat and came back out clutching a metallic, long object.

Jack gave it a quick spin in between his fingers, causing the staff to extend out to its full length. He held it tightly in his hand, holding it out in front of him in protection.

The unknown female snickered into her white gloved hand. "You brought a stick to a gun fight? How stupid. You must be itching to die tonight."

"Are you here for me?" Elsa suddenly asked.

" _Elsa_ …" Jack whispered under his breath, trying to get her to stay quiet.

"Oh? So the young heiress is aware of the dangers she's surrounded by," the first man chuckled, adjusting the rose that he wore on his left breast pocket. He paused, as did the others, growing deafeningly silent.

The police sirens grew louder.

"Simply put, Elsa Winters -" He held the gun up straight towards them. " - We've been sent here to _kill_ you."

A single, loud gunshot resonated throughout the air, followed by an interrupted scream.


	5. The Three Families

**A/N** Chapter 5 reedited.

 **Marionette**

 **Chapter 5 - The Three Families**

 _Warnings: None_

* * *

It felt as if the air around had grown completely still. For a split second, Elsa forgot how to breathe just from the heavy tension that lingered around them all. It was as if the loudness of the gunshot had jarred her senses, preventing her from thinking properly.

Her throat felt like it had closed up almost as soon as she let out a hoarse scream.

Luckily, the gunshot had missed them entirely, thanks to the oddly dressed woman that Jack had danced with earlier. With lightning fast reflexes, she had managed to sneak up on them and throw a knife into the back of the man's leg just as he pulled the trigger to his gun. He fell to the ground with a sharp grunt, shaking in pain as she had thrown the knife into the sensitive area just behind his knees.

"My, my," the green haired woman cooed, holding up several more knives in her lithe hand. She wore a sweet smile upon her face as she approached them calmly. "So you are the ones that caused all this trouble?"

Jack loosened the protective arm he had around Elsa. His blue eyes widened slightly. "Tooth…" he breathed out.

The other two assailants sharply turned on their heel and pointed their guns at her.

"Not another step!" the woman hissed.

The husky man that accompanied her piped up when Toothiana didn't heed their warning. "We mean it, lady!"

Toothiana clicked her tongue as she lowered her brow line in concern. "How long are you going to keep this up?" she asked. Her gaze turned deathly. "The police are almost here. They'll arrest you three if you're caught like this." Her pink eyes roamed over to the man that she had clipped on the leg. He was miserably trying to get back up onto his feet, without much success. "Especially after you foolishly killed the security guard that tried to confiscate your gun."

They all seemed unnerved by the police sirens that grew louder by the second.

"However -" she said, tossing her knives up into the air and catching all three with much ease. Her once eloquent and delicate voice fell low as she darkly muttered, "- if you fail to leave right now, I can't guarantee that you'll be alive when they come to arrest you."

They shivered under the clear threat that was ever-present in her voice. The sound of the sirens grew louder and all three of the mysterious assailants knew that they needed to get out of there while they can.

Cursing under her breath, the woman took hold of her injured partner, picking him up off the ground with her other partner's help. "This isn't over," she seethed, looking towards Toothiana, then back at Elsa and Jack. "You got lucky this time, Winters."

As they fled, Jack made an attempt to stop them.

" _Hey_!" he called, trying to run after them, only to be stopped by Toothiana's arm. Jack stared down at the older woman incredulously. "Tooth, we need to go after them -!"

" - _We_ need to get out of here too," she explained, carefully skirting away her dress at the slit and concealing her knives on the garter belt she wore.

He grit his teeth together, worked up over the incident. "But -!"

"You _know_ that we must operate on the highest level of discretion," she firmly told him, narrowing her pink eyes slightly. "Unless you can end a fight in under 5 seconds, Jack, being in the middle of one when the police get here isn't going to benefit you or anyone."

Jack opened his mouth to retaliate, but promptly shut it, knowing that this was a policy that the Guardians operated under. Unless it is of absolute importance or a dire situation, the police should not be involved in their affairs. It would only cause unnecessary problems for them in the long run.

Releasing the tension in his body, unwillingly, Jack let out a sharp sigh. "...Fine," he muttered lowly. He spun the metal staff counterclockwise, in between his fingers, collapsing it back down to its compact size. As he tucked it back into its holster on his back, he heard Elsa walking up to them.

She curiously looked to Jack, then to Toothiana. "...Who are you?" she asked the older woman cautiously.

The large, gold hoop earrings the green haired woman wore shook slightly as she tilted her head slightly. A gentle smile played upon her face as she greeted the young heiress. "This is our first time meeting, isn't it, Miss Winters? As much as I'd like to get through proper introductions, I'm afraid that we must leave soon. The police will be here any minute and they'll question us if we're not with the other guests."

* * *

Jack appeared sour and clearly irate as he approached Toothiana after sending Elsa off with Simon. The young man loosened his necktie and popped open the first two buttons of his collar, sighing in relief as he did so. His clothes were far too constricting for his tastes. As he unbuttoned his blazer, he took the time to look around.

Dozens of police cars had arrived at the gala, along with a few fire engines, as well as a few ambulances. Most of the people being tended to by the EMTs were those that had fallen during the chaotic, frenzied stampede, but one of the patients being carried out is what caught Jack's eye.

A stretcher was wheeled out, carrying the dead body of the fallen security guard. He was in a body bag, obscured from the public eye as he was wheeled into a separate van that belonged to the police.

Toothiana witnessed this as well and clicked her tongue softly. "Poor guy," she muttered, "probably never expected to die tonight. This was probably one of the safest events by far."

"Not that ' _safe'_ now since someone died," Jack commented grimly as he shoved his hands into the pocket of his pants. He leaned back against the trunk of his dark blue Audi and said nothing for a while. Finally -

"Tooth."

"Hm?"

He looked towards her with a scrutinizing glare. "...Why did Manny send you here?"

She stared at him for a while before breaking into a light giggle. "Didn't I tell you this earlier, Jack -?"

" - It can't be for a simple reason like that. North, Sandy, you, even Bunny told me that I'm ready to handle things solo. You guys all know that I'm more than capable of handling an event like this gala. You being sent here as another set of eyes isn't a good enough reason for me, Tooth."

The green haired woman could tell that this was causing Jack a decent amount of stress. She gave him an odd look and asked, "what is it that you want to know? I'm afraid that I can't tell you much."

He let out a humorless laugh as he shook his head. "I should've known. It's always that answer."

"Jack…"

"I thought we were...a family. And I thought family members don't keep secrets from each other." The silver haired man stared at Toothiana for a bit and when he saw that she was unable to talk, he sighed and pushed himself off of the car. "I can only assume that you guys don't trust me, especially Manny."

"Jack, you know that's not true."

"If it's not true, then prove it. Tell me why you were sent here tonight without my knowledge." He narrowed his eyes at her and when she simply averted her eyes, he let out a discontent scoff. "Fine," he whispered under his breath, "you guys can just keep me in the dark forever. That's totally fine by me."

Toothiana met his eyes briefly, but saw him forcibly tear his gaze from hers.

"...I'm going back home. Elsa's probably worried," he said curtly. However, before he could walk away, he was stopped by her.

She gripped his sleeve tightly in her small fist, preventing him from leaving. "Wait - Jack," she said, lowering her pink eyes in hesitation. When she raised them again, she found herself locking gazes with him once more. "Why would you think that we don't trust you?"

"Your actions say enough," he stated, a hint of a malice in his voice. "Whenever I ask questions, you guys conveniently don't have answers for them. I don't know anything about the Guardians, you, Bunny, or anyone. I...I don't even know anything about myself."

"Is that why you're upset?" Toothiana asked. She curiously looked up at him as he avoided her prying eyes.

Jack let out a calm exhale, trying to suppress his emotions before they accidentally flared out of control due to his frustration. "I just don't want to be kept in the dark anymore...or treated like an outsider."

She dropped her gaze to the ground for a moment before slowly letting go of his sleeve. She inhaled sharply before letting herself smile up at him. "I know you don't," she said in earnest, touching his hand gently in reassurance.

He glanced at her, a slight discouragement flashing in his eyes.

Toothiana noticed this and quickly tried to comfort him. "...You're also right...we do consider you our own, but we've done a poor job at showing it, haven't we?" She paused for a bit before answering. "Come to HQ tomorrow, first thing in the morning. I can't answer all the questions you may have, but we can convince North to tell you what you need to know. Okay?" She smiled sweetly, giving his calloused hand a tight squeeze before letting go.

Jack, unsure of whether or not he will actually get answers, simply grunted lowly in response. He was still highly skeptical by Toothiana's invitation, but he couldn't pass up the chance to actually learn about his past, as well as about the Guardians.

* * *

Elsa nervously paced the entrance hall, still dressed in her gala gown. She didn't even want to make an effort to get out of the uncomfortable heels she wore, with how her worries were plaguing her mind. For one, Anna was still out of contact, despite all the voice messages Elsa had left her, and two, it was taking Jack a lot longer than expected to return.

She checked her crystal quartz watch once more, sighing as it marked one whole hour since she had left the gala. Deciding to call Anna once more, she took her phone out of her purse, only to stop once she saw a pair of headlights illuminate the window overlooking the driveway. Quickly, she rushed over and pulled back the curtains, peeking out to see an unknown car pulling up.

Her brow wrinkled in suspicion, but they immediately pulled up when she saw her sister get out from the passenger's seat and a guy that she had never seen before, get out from the driver's side. "What?" she mouthed to herself as she ran over to the door.

As soon as she yanked open the front door, her eyes zeroed on in her younger sister like a hawk. "Anna!" she exclaimed.

"Elsa! Heeey!" the strawberry blonde greeted with a wide grin, oblivious to Elsa's rising temper. "You're back a little early. Doesn't the gala run until midnight -?"

" - Where were you!?" she sharply scolded, eliciting an incredulous look from Anna.

"Wha -? Elsa, I -?"

"Answer the question, Anna," she said with such strict dictation and anger in her eyes that it caused her sister to shrink back slightly in fear.

Before Anna could say anything, the young man she was with stepped in. "Miss Winters," he politely addressed Elsa, bowing slightly in good manner. "If I may - I was the one your sister was with tonight."

The platinum blond distrustful, slanted gaze before asking, "I'm sorry, but who are you?"

"My name is Hans Westergaard, Miss Winters," he said with a gentlemanly smile.

Elsa gave him a quick nod of her head, acknowledging him, but failing to take the bait that he had thrown out to avert her anger away from Anna. "Do you have any idea what happened at the gala tonight?" she sharply questioned the young girl.

"Uh, _no_?" Her eyebrow quirked upwards. "What _did_ happen?"

She gave her a deadpanned stare. "Anna - _you_ \- you weren't even at the gala then!?"

Anna let out a loud, disgruntled sigh. "Can you stop _overreacting_ , Elsa? I was with Hans! We met at the gala and decided to take a drive around town for a bit -"

" - You don't _even_ know who he is!" Elsa fired back, growing immensely frustrated with her little sister. She quickly realized how harsh her tone had gotten when she saw the look of perturbed shock on Anna's face. She clenched her fists and released them as she sighed sharply. "I'm sorry, Hans. Could you _please_ leave?"

Anna widened her cerulean blue eyes. "Elsa -!" She stopped herself when she felt Hans' hand gently touching her shoulder. She met eyes with him. "Hans…"

"It's fine. I'll leave you two alone, as your older sister wishes."

Elsa knew that it was bad manners to ignore him when he made an attempt to say goodbye to her as well, but she could frankly care less at this point. All her attention was focused on Anna at the moment and she knew that she couldn't just let this incident slide. In an unsympathetic gesture, she frigidly crossed her arms over her chest and waited until Hans left the estate. Once the automatic gate closed behind his departing car, she let out a sharp exhale.

However, before she could say anything, Anna made the first move, marching defiantly past her and into the house.

"Anna!" Elsa called out after her, astonished that she was choosing to give her the cold-shoulder. She followed her inside and closed the door behind her. "Anna! We need to talk about this -!"

The strawberry blond stopped halfway up the stairs and sharply turned back her head. "There's nothing to talk about! How could you!? Hans did nothing to warrant such rudeness!"

"This isn't about him! It's about you!" she scolded. "Anna, you can't just walk out of the gala without telling me, especially with a guy you just met! What if he was someone dangerous? Who knows what could have happened to you!?"

"Hans isn't that type of guy, Elsa! He would never hurt me! He's such a gentleman, extremely kind, mature, and -"

Elsa pinched the bridge of her nose briefly. "How could you possibly know all this just from spending a couple of hours with him? Anna, this is serious. Just because a guy's nice to you, doesn't mean that he is a _nice_ person. Do you understand?"

Anna let out a sarcastic laugh which came across as a scoff. "Weren't you the one that told me to have fun tonight?" She growled in frustration at Elsa's silence as she threw her fists down. "It's _so_ unfair!"

She shot her a stunned look. "What are you talking about? Nothing's unfair, Anna. You crossed the line when you put yourself in danger."

"I was never in any danger, don't you get it, Elsa!?" she cried, catching Elsa completely off-guard with her display of tears. "You always... _always_...only look at things from your perspective, but you disregard how I feel! I've felt _so, so_ lonely. I just want someone by my side! Mom and Dad's been gone, you're always so busy with your studies and dad's corporation that you barely have time for me…"

Elsa lowered her head, feeling the darkness of guilt starting to swallow her up whole. She said nothing, afraid that she would make the situation worse.

Anna angrily wiped away her tears. "I feel like I have no one. At least you have Jack. You may not realize it Elsa, but tonight...Hans made me feel like someone actually cares about me. He made me feel wanted - not just because I'm a Winters or that I'm your little sister - but as myself." When she saw that Elsa still seemed unconvinced, she swallowed the harsh lump in her throat and sniffled back tears. "Whatever," she muttered bitterly under her breath. "I knew you wouldn't understand."

"Anna, wait -"

Without another word, the young girl sprinted up the stairs and disappeared into the hallway. Elsa promptly dropped her hand back down to her side, letting out a defeated sigh as she did so. Just when she thought that things were going to be okay between her and Anna, one night and a single boy ruined it all.

"Great," she whispered, sighing once more as she quietly removed her earrings. As she bent over to remove her painful heels, she stopped halfway upon seeing another pair of headlights illuminate the windows once more. She removed her sandals and briskly walked over to the door.

She drew in a sharp breath when she opened the door just a crack to see Jack's car rolling up into the driveway. When she heard the car engine being turned off, she stepped outside to meet him.

"What took you so long?" she asked, coming off more like an interrogative question rather than a curious one.

Jack gave her an inquiring, slight tilt of his head as he locked his car. He approached her and asked, "were you waiting for me all this time?"

Elsa blushed hotly at the teasing smirk on his face. "No," she said pointedly. "I was waiting for Anna as well." She walked alongside Jack, who continued to stare at her, silently prodding at her with his eyes so that she would fill him in. Elsa glanced at him and gently held herself as she sighed. "I'll tell you tomorrow. It's... been a long day."

"Fair enough," he responded with a shrug, only to be stopped by her.

"In exchange - _you_ have to tell me what happened tonight, especially with who that oddly dressed woman was."

Jack pulled his lips up to one side in a smug grin. "So you are interested in our relationship. Are you jealous?"

Elsa vainly tried to suppress the blush growing on her face as she rolled her eyes at the same time. "Don't flatter yourself, Jack. I'm only interested because I think I should know for the purposes of my safety."

He let her inside the house first and chuckled. "Alright then. We'll talk tomorrow."

* * *

He could feel the bitingly cold early morning air nip at his pale cheeks as soon as he stepped out of his car. As he closed the door behind him, Jack looked towards the large, multi-storied office building and saw Toothiana standing by the side entrance door. When she made eye contact with him, she smiled broadly and waved her hand in a beckoning motion.

Jack set his lips into a firm lip as he locked his car and approached her.

"Good morning, Jack," she greeted him in a chipper voice. "Hope this wasn't too early for you."

He watched as she opened up the door behind her. "Of course not. Four hours of sleep is _plenty_ for me," he responded sarcastically.

Toothiana giggled lightly, brushing off his sarcasm with a fake aloofness as she always did. She played with the ends of her green, bob cut hair, twirling a slim index finger around one of the strands of yellow highlights. They walked through the empty hallway of the large office building and went straight for the elevators. "I'm glad you came though. I'm sure you have a lot of questions for us."

Jack raised his eyebrow slightly as they waited for the doors to open. He made eye contact with the short woman once again.

"I know you're still skeptical, Jack," she said, noticing the expression he wore on his face. "But I promise you, we'll tell you all that we can."

"A little bit earlier than this would have been nice," he scoffed.

The elevator doors slid open and she stepped inside, Jack following closely behind her. Once the doors closed up, Toothiana flipped open of the emergency panels and punched in a numerical code. As soon as she finished and closed the panel, the elevator began its descent, past the lobby floor. A lone sigh escaped her as she rested her hand upon the metal walls of the elevator. "It's...difficult to say why we haven't told you everything about the Guardians, Jack. Even I don't know Manny's reasons for keeping you in the dark. I don't think any of us does."

He narrowed his blue eyes in a scrutinizing glare. "You guys don't know the boss man's reasons for any of this, do you?"

Toothiana remained silent.

"...Then why do you guys follow and accept him as our leader?"

Again, Toothiana said nothing. Instead, when the doors to the elevator finally opened up, she told him, "Manny saved us, Jack. All of us - _even you_."

"What are you talking about?" he asked exasperatedly as he followed her into the compound. The soles of his dress shoes squeaked slightly against the steel plated floors as he hastened his stride just to keep up with the green haired woman. "Even if he did 'save' me, I hardly feel anything towards the guy since I've never seen him, much less spoke to him face to face."

"Jack -" Toothiana said, stopping him. "- I understand that you're frustrated, but we're doing the best we can."

Jack paused, then slowly realized that perhaps she didn't have all the answers that he was looking for. Perhaps none of the Guardians did. He clenched his fists tightly. "Will I be speaking to Manny then?"

She turned back to look at him with a troubled gaze, silently communicating her answer.

He knew that Toothiana wasn't at fault and he knew that certain things were out of her control, but he was frustrated. "Forget it," he said bitterly, sharply turning away from her and back towards the elevator. "If I can't speak to Manny personally, then this is a waste of time."

"Jack -!"

" - _Jack_."

At the familiar, low gruff voice from behind, the young man stopped in midstep and turned around. He saw North approach him, his posture lumbering and his baby blue eyes narrowed underneath bushy gray eyebrows.

Jack gave him a perplexed stare. "North…"

Motioning with his hand, he called him over. "Walk with me."

* * *

Jack sat upon the edge of the large mattress uncomfortably as he warily watched North skim over the small bookcase he had in his room. As he tapped his calloused fingertip against the spine of each photo album, he let out a low _'hmph'_ from his throat, as if fondly remembering the memories stored in each one.

Before Jack could say anything to him, North spoke first.

"Have you been doing well, Jack?" he asked, his back turned towards him.

In a standoffish manner, he responded, "you saw me just last week, North -" He stopped when he saw the burly old man turn around to face him. Averting his glacier blue eyes away from North's stern gaze, Jack mumbled, "...depends on what your definition of _'well'_ is."

North let out a suppressed sigh as he returned his attention back to his bookshelf. "Jack...Tooth told me about what happened last night at the gala."

"Yeah, _why_ did you send her?" he asked pointedly. "I thought I said last week that I could handle it myself."

"We know you can. You have proven yourself more than capable in doing so." North pulled out an aged photo album from the bookshelf and dusted it off with the palm of his hand gently. "You managed to graduate from Burgess with a degree in chemical engineering. You've exceeded our expectations with our training exercises, although...Tooth did tell me that your knife throwing is still something to be worked on." He chuckled fondly as he approached Jack. "You are smart, strong -"

With the high compliments, Jack couldn't help, but smile a little.

"- but prone to letting your ego get to your head."

His smile turned into a disgruntled frown. He rested his chin against his propped up hand and asked with an eye roll, "is that why you guys are still treating me as if I'm an inexperienced kid?"

"No," North answered as he handed off the album to Jack. There was a slight twinkle in his eye as he met eyes with the young man. "We aren't your babysitters, Jack, so don't think of us in such a way. We are your family and family members help each other out...also, we shouldn't keep each other in the dark."

Jack held the album in his hand, unsure if he should actually open it. He gave an inquiring look up at North and watched as the old man took a seat on the bed next to him.

"Open it," he said with a gentle smile. "It's about time you know more about us."

With an exasperated sigh, Jack pried open the album to the first page. There was a single, black and white photo inside with a couple holding their infant child in their arms. He looked to North with a raised eyebrow.

"That is Manny, along with his parents. You see, Jack, Manny is the heir of one of the three powerful, wealthy families in Burgess. Being a member of one of these three families is a blessing, but it is also a curse. Manny knew this all too well since right after he was born, his family's estate was set on fire and both his parents perished in it."

"Set on fire?" Jack questioned. "So someone did it on purpose?"

"Yes, the Lunanoffs were targeted. For the longest time, the Pitchiners were suspected to be the culprits, but there was no hard evidence to convict any of them. The police even wrote it off as an 'accident' rather than an arson, but to this day, Manny is convinced that his parents were murdered."

Jack made a slight face as he looked back down at the album. "So then...there's the Lunanoffs, and I'm guessing, the Pitchiners. So who is the last family?"

"I think you know, Jack."

He wrinkled his brow for a brief moment before his eyes widened slightly in realization. "... _The Winters_?"

North gave a nod of his head in response. "Yes. The Lunanoffs and Winters had a mutual partnership. That's why the Winters did all they could to get justice for Manny's parents. Luckily for Manny, he had his grandfather, Ombric Lunanoff to look after him."

Jack flipped the page and saw an elderly man holding the same infant from the previous photo. His eyes then went to the photo on the next page and he saw a toddler Manny with two other boys, one slightly older than him and one around the same age. He heard North chuckling fondly at the photo.

"That," he said as he tapped his finger on the older boy's face, "is me."

The silver haired man stifled down a laugh. "Never thought you could look so...cute."

North made a slight annoyed face at Jack, then returned his attention to the photo album. "Jokings aside, Jack - Ombric eventually thought that raising Manny alone and in hidden seclusion wouldn't be the best for him, so he adopted two kids around his age. Those two kids were of course, myself and Night."

Letting his blue eyes fall back down to the photo, Jack let them linger upon the face of the third boy that North had mentioned. He seemed much more calm compared to North, but more confident than Manny. With his light colored hair and delicate face, he looked a bit sickly, but the bright smile on his face said otherwise. Jack's gaze turned pensive as his eyes rested longer on the boy called Night. He used the tips of his fingers to gently touch at the photo, but stopped as soon as North started speaking once more.

"We were quite the trio," he said, chuckling once more as he allowed Jack to flip through the remaining album pages.

"Yeah," Jack scoffed lightly with a lopsided smile as he looked through the multiple photos of the boys doing various activities together. "I could tell." As he reached the very end of the album, his smile dropped a little and he asked North, "but what does this have to do with the Guardians? Or myself?"

He saw the elderly man's eyes fall dismally and quickly Jack attempted to remedy the situation that he had thought he caused.

"Not that your story was boring or anything like that!" he quickly explained. "I just...came here today to find out why we do what we have to do and why we serve Manny."

"I understand, Jack," North chuckled sadly as he took the album away from him in a slow motion. "Tooth probably filled you in on why we all feel indebted towards Manny. Myself and Night...we both felt grateful that Ombric adopted us and we grew up alongside Manny. Over the years, that trust had built up and our friendship grew. Although I can speak for myself in that case, I cannot divulge why Tooth and the rest of the Guardians follow Manny. It isn't my place to say."

He could sense the young man's disappointment and frustration at his answer.

"But…" he said additionally. "Manny all chose us for a reason."

Jack flashed him a perplexed look.

"It is quite funny...Manny rarely interacts with people, but he has an uncanny knack for seeing the good in people. He hates those that show even the slightest of impure intentions or deceit."

He could practically feel North's baby blue eyes boring into his own in a near scrutinizing look. It was so intense that Jack had to look away with a slight aversion of his eyes.

North's stern expression quickly loosened up as he placed the album back on the bookshelf. His mouth widened into a toothy grin. "You will find it soon, Jack," he reassured.

"Uh," the young man muttered dumbly, "what exactly am I looking for?"

"Answers to your questions, of course, but perhaps...mainly yourself."

"...Myself?"

"You seem to be...lost. I understand you must be doubting your roles within the Guardians and your purpose for being here, but this is where you belong. You belong here with us - and with Elsa. Don't ever doubt that."

Jack let out a sigh, his shoulders relaxing slightly as he did so. "Yeah...I know," he replied, letting a smile take over his face. It quickly fell once more as he stood up from the bed slowly. "Will I ever get to speak to Manny?" he questioned softly.

North grew silent, unable to answer him immediately. After a long pause, he said cautiously, "Manny...is ill, Jack."

"Sick?"

"Yes, but not physically. You see...he's very paranoid. Ever since he found out from Ombric that his parents were murdered and that he is also a target, he grew reclusive - hence, why he built this place underneath the corporate building that once belonged to his family." He could see the confusion cloud Jack's eyes once more and he let out an inaudible sigh in response. "For now...he isn't letting anyone close to him except for me."

"Not even me or the other Guardians?"

He shook his head. "No...Manny...has been through a lot. You must understand, Jack. He lost his parents, eventually Ombric, and not soon after, he lost one of his best friends -" North suddenly stopped himself, fearing that he had said too much.

Jack made a slight face, wrinkling his eyebrows together as he put the pieces together in his mind. "...You mean, Night?" He wished to further pursue the topic, but when he noticed the immense amount of stress present on North's face, he decided against it.

"I'm sorry, Jack. Manny and...myself included, we were both very good friends with him. I know you're still curious, but -"

" - It's okay," Jack respectfully declined. "I know you guys were all good friends. I understand that it must be hard for both you."

"Perhaps when Manny is ready, he will speak with you," North assured him with a gentle smile. He walked back over to Jack to touch his shoulder in a firm grip. That was when his expression turned coldly stern. "But there is something I must warn you of Jack. Manny's paranoia is not unfounded. He has a good reason for it."

Jack looked up at North curiously. "A good reason…? The Pitchiners?"

"Maybe. The Pitchiners disappeared almost 21 years ago. The head of the family fell into a sudden, deep depression and their financial power dwindled after that. Or...it could be someone else that wants a taste of what the three families of Burgess have."

"They're _that_ important, huh?"

"More than you or I could ever imagine," North explained. "Even with the Lunanoffs and Pitchiners in dormancy for now, they still hold enough power within the title alone. That's why, you must keep Elsa close. Protect her with all that you can because she will be inheriting Agdar's corporation soon and I fear that she could be the next target."


	6. Cold Hands, Warm Hearts

**Marionette**

 **Chapter 6 - Cold Hands, Warm Hearts**

 _Warnings: None_

* * *

"Anna, it's alright."

"But-!"

"Really."

She pouted a little, stubbornly wishing that Hans would take her apology. "I just feel bad for not even saying goodbye last night!"

Anna was surprised when Hans had randomly dropped by her house. She did invite him inside, but all they did so far was exchange apologies and nervous glances. Both of them seemed genuinely sorry for what happened last night.

"And I'm here saying that you don't have to feel bad!" The red haired young man took one of her hands and gently squeezed it. He smiled handsomely at her and said, "you don't have to be sorry about anything. I understand how your sister would feel. I am...kinda older than you - by a lot."

"Yeah, but...I don't mind," Anna mumbled, blushing. "A lot of the guys at my school or the ones around my age are so immature sometimes, but you're different. You seem to actually understand me," she professed to him.

Hans seemed to be flattered by the generous compliment, as he blushed as well, nervously clearing his throat. "W-Well...thank you for saying that, Anna. You're very kind as well - and cute."

"Wha? Me? Cute? Pfft -" She let out a sort of snort, waving her hands in denial. "No way."

"Really! You're really quirky, but...I like it. That's why I was drawn to you at the gala. You seemed to be quite the social butterfly." Hans chuckled deeply, amused by the memories of her last night speaking animatedly even with the older guests.

Anna shyly looked away from him, embarrassed by his words. "I'm actually surprised..."

"About what?"

"That you bothered to come by today. I thought my sister would have scared you off yesterday."

Hans quirked up an eyebrow as he asked, "and you really thought that would stop me from seeing you?"

"Well she kinda scared off a lot of the other boys that tried to flirt with me - her and her bodyguard, Jack. Although...Jack does it unintentionally," Anna muttered.

He laughed at her. "Really now? Well...if they get scared off that easily then that's probably why they're "boys"."

Anna snickered in response. She was completely infatuated with him at this point. He was the definition of a mature gentleman - her true prince. She knew that she had to convince Elsa to accept him. There was never going to be another guy like him.

"Are you planning on doing anything tomorrow, Anna? You're on winter break right now, aren't you?"

"Mhm!" she excitedly nodded her head while answering. "What did you have in mind?"

"How does a dinner and movie, sound? There's this great steakhouse in my hometown that I'm sure you'd love, since it seems like we both like the same type of foods." His dark green eyes seemed to twinkle with excitement when he saw Anna's face lighting up at the sound of a date night.

"That sounds great!" she exclaimed.

Hans' expression turned into that of worry when he asked her, "your sister - will she be okay with it?"

"Okay with what?"

The two of them turned towards the entrance of the lounge to see Elsa standing there, her arms crossed over her chest and her face reflecting irritation.

"O-Oh! Elsa...I thought you were still asleep," Anna stammered as she quickly got up from the sofa and walked over to her sister.

"I just woke up." Elsa glanced over at Hans, who seemed to visibly flinch under her icy cold glare. The blond reverted her attention back to Anna and she asked, "what are you doing?"

"What do you mean?"

She sighed, holding her head. Elsa looked over at Hans again and then whispered to her sister. "Please don't make me have this conversation with you again, Anna. Especially in front of him."

Anna's expression immediately fell, knowing what Elsa was trying to imply. She bunched up her hands into small fists and exclaimed angrily, "why won't you give him a chance!?"

"Anna -"

"I love him!" she blurted out. There was desperation in her voice as she tried to convince Elsa that Hans was a good guy. "He actually cares about me and it's like - we're linked! We think about the same things and -!"

"Anna...do you realize what you're saying right now." Elsa sighed in frustration. "He's a guy you just met. How can you possibly know him like this?" she asked, completely ignoring the fact that Hans was in the same room as them. "People can change."

The young girl seemed to bite back her tongue for a bit, before she whispered hatefully under her breath, "the only person that's changed is you."

Elsa's expression quickly changed from that of irritation and anger to that of shock and hurt. A thick silence fell between the two sisters, neither of them knowing what else to say. Anna, feeling guilty for what she had said, attempted to speak to Elsa.

"...Elsa...I-"

"No." The older sister quickly intervened. She held up her hand and turned away from her. "Just...no more."

"Elsa -"

"I can't convince someone that's unwilling to listen. Do what you want, Anna. I'm done." Without another word, Elsa turned and left the lounge, leaving the couple behind her. She felt an emptiness growing inside of her, a certain sadness because of all of this. She recently has had so many disagreements and arguments with Anna that perhaps she was right. Maybe she really did change...and for the worse.

Anna faltered as she tried to go after her sister, only to hold herself back. She dropped her hands back down to her sides and somberly lowered her eyes to stare at the ground. She barely even heard Hans coming up behind her, gently squeezing her shoulder in an attempt to comfort her.

"I don't know why I'm saying all these things to her, Hans. All these hurtful words," Anna said in a harsh sigh. She closed her eyes tightly and muttered, "we used to be so close...and now...I'm not even sure what our relationship is."

"Siblings fight all the time," he said in a soothing voice, rubbing her back. "I have so many older brothers that I always fight with at least one of them."

"Really? Do your fights hurt one another?"

"Sometimes...but you're family. You eventually forgive one another." Hans smiled down at her. "Do you want to get away for a bit? I think the atmosphere here is still a little tense. It'll help clear your mind too."

His offer sounding good and knowing that dwelling on what happened was too stressful, Anna smiled back at him and took his hand. "Sure. Where did you have in mind?"

* * *

She poured over her business textbooks, hoping that studying would take her mind off things, but it did just the opposite.

Elsa could not concentrate and she had trouble absorbing any of the information in front of her. Frustrated, she let out a tired sigh and leaned back in the large leather armchair. She stared blankly at the ceiling of the study.

She did not know how long it had been since she and Anna fought downstairs in the lounge and judging by how quiet the house was right now, she assumed that Anna had left with Hans to go off who knows where. It was worrisome and it concerned Elsa greatly that her little sister was planning to go out with a man that was nearly seven years older than her, but what could she do? Anna was persistent and stubborn about dating him and at this point, Elsa knew that she could not convince her to stop seeing him.

It was not like she was her mother.

At this thought, Elsa looked over at a portrait of her family that she kept framed on her desk. Her eyes rested on her mother and father, who were smiling brightly while carrying both Anna and herself.

Life without her parents was hard. While some of the other students her age would relish the idea of being away from their parents, she hated it because while they had an option, this was her only life. It felt rather lonesome. Elsa had no friends at school, her parents were gone, and now her sister was also drifting away from her. It was not like she enjoyed being alone, but it was just the circumstances that life presented her made her become like this.

Getting lost in her own thoughts, Elsa jolted out of her daze when she heard a single knock on the door to her study.

Stammering, she collected her thoughts hastily and answered back, "come in!" The door opened up and Elsa relaxed a little when she saw that it was Jack. She felt rather grateful to see him. "Jack -"

He spotted the textbooks and notes strewn all over her study desk and he stopped. "Oh...are you busy?"

"No," Elsa laughed a little nervously as she shut the books quickly.

"Are you sure?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. "I can come back later if you want."

"It's fine," Elsa insisted. She welcomed Jack's intrusion. It was a nice distraction from all the depressive thoughts swirling around in her head. "I'm just...thinking about things. Nothing too important."

Jack walked up to her desk and placed his hands down, leaning over closer to her. Elsa shrank back into her chair, wondering what he was doing so suddenly.

"U-Uh...Jack?"

He furrowed his brow, staring at her, then raised his hand to give her a light jab of his finger onto her forehead. Jack laughed when Elsa yelped and quickly covered her forehead with both of her hands.

"What was that for!?" she yelled, sourly glaring up at him while he continued to laugh at her reaction.

Jack's laughter died down to a snicker slowly. When he finally managed to catch his breath, he let out an abrupt sigh and leaned over once more. With a little smirk, he commented, "you know if you keep looking so stressed, you're going to get wrinkles faster."

Elsa blushed from embarrassment and retorted, "why do you care if I get wrinkles or not?"

"I just worry for how you'd look in the future -"

"That's none of your business!" she snapped out, annoyed. Elsa let out a huff and crossed her arms over her chest. "Stupid," she said under her breath. She leered at him as she grumbled out, "did you just come in here to tease me or did you actually have something to say?"

"The former, because I just _love_ to torment you." Jack gave her a smug grin as he leaned against her desk, only to have her shoot him a nasty glare. Seeing as how she was not up for his sarcastic quips, Jack dropped it and sighed as he walked over to the sofa and plopped himself down on it. He leaned back against the backrest. "Well - I just came in to check up on you. Remember what we said last night?"

Elsa flushed at the memory of last night when they were so intimately close and how he had her pinned up against her bedroom door. Flustered, she swiveled the chair around so that she was facing away from him. "K-Kinda."

Jack did not seem to think too much of her erratic behavior as he simply continued. "Well...?" he inquired, watching the back of her chair curiously. "Did you want to talk about it?" When all he got was silence, Jack pouted his lips a little and said, "I know something's bothering you, Elsa. I wasn't kidding about those wrinkles, you know. Stressing yourself out isn't good."

"Then...what about you?" she asked, turning her chair slightly so that she could see him. "Something's bothering you too."

"A little bit, but -" he let out a sigh, leaning back to stare at the ceiling, "-I think I got it somewhat sorted out. Although I think I have even more questions now." Jack looked a little melancholic, but he quickly changed his facial expression when he faced Elsa once more. He smiled a little and asked, "I'll tell you soon, don't worry. How about you though?"

She raised an eyebrow. "You didn't tell me anything." When she saw him simply shrugging his shoulders, she sighed, rolling her eyes slightly.

Jack waited patiently for her to start speaking. It seemed as though she was hesitating, nervous to let the words start flowing out past her lips.

"I...uhm..." she breathed out, biting her lower lip. Elsa got up from the chair and walked over to the large window that overlooked the courtyard. She looked up at the light gray skies and saw the first signs of snow beginning to fall lightly upon the earth. "It's Anna," she admitted silently. Her blue eyes lowered somberly. "Last night, she came in with a guy that she met at the gala and I told her she can't date him because of how much older he is compared to her and how she had just met him. But of course, she didn't listen."

"Not surprising," Jack said, chuckling.

"She just...she told me that I wouldn't understand because I've never loved anyone. That isn't true...I loved my parents. I know what love is." Elsa gently touched the cold glass pane of the window and sighed, staring outside. "Just because I've never had a boyfriend or significant other, doesn't mean I don't know how to love. But...a part of me began believing her."

"What makes you think you have a heart of ice, Ice Queen?"

Elsa pursed her lips angrily and sternly responded. "Jack, please. This isn't the time for your jokes. This is serious."

"I know it is. That's why I'm asking." He slowly began to approach her from behind. In a soft tone, he asked, "do you really think you're unable to love, Elsa?"

"I don't know. I'm doubting myself on the true definition of the very word because you saw me at my parents' funeral. I didn't even cry - I just felt empty. What does that make me?"

"A good daughter...and a good sister to Anna," Jack answered her. He smiled ardently at the blond as she turned to look at him. He stood just beside her desk, right in front of her. "Just because you don't show any emotion on the outside, doesn't mean that you're some emotionless robot. I know you can show emotion - sadness, fear, happiness, even love. Deep inside, I know you have an immeasurable capacity to love someone else. You're not as expressive about it because you're too busy being strong and protective of everyone - especially your sister, and that isn't a bad thing, but sometimes..." Jack gently took her hands and flipped them over so that her palms were facing up. He rubbed the smooth skin of her hands with his thumb as he gave a comforting look. "...it's okay to show that you love the people you care about." He chuckled lightly, closing up her lithe hands. "Like you said yourself, just because you didn't have a boyfriend or have any interest in guys doesn't mean that you're incapable of loving someone. You loved your parents, I know you did. You cared about them deeply and you still do."

"Jack..." Elsa softly whispered, looking away from him. She did not know how he did it, but he always managed to make her feel better. Despite the fact that he was immature at times, even still as a young adult, he would know when to be serious and offer up a heartfelt talk like this to her. Elsa looked back up at him and she smiled from the bottom of her heart at him, feeling grateful that he was there for her. "Thank you...you always know what to say."

He blushed a little in response, but he took the compliment in stride. "I try."

Elsa lowered her eyes slightly and muttered, "I still don't like the idea of Anna going out with that guy though. Even though he does come from a prestigious family, he's just way too old for her."

Jack laughed a little and asked, "damn, just how old is he?"

"22 - your age."

"Are you calling me old then?" the white haired man asked, feigning hurt in his voice.

"Jack, please. You know Anna's only 15. If she was my age, then I wouldn't be complaining. Plus, it's you. I don't even know anything about this guy to know if he's trustworthy or not."

"Really now? So if Anna wanted to date me, then it would be fine."

"Of course not! That's...kinda gross," Elsa admitted. "You're like an older brother to her."

"Oh, then how about you?"

Immediately, Elsa froze up and stuttered out, "w-what do you mean, "you"?"

" _You_ ," Jack said pointedly. "What do you think of me as? Because it doesn't seem like you think of me as a brother."

Unsure of how to answer that without spilling the truth that Elsa actually thought of him as something similar to a love interest, she quickly blurted out the first thing that came to her mind. "You're...just my bodyguard."

"...Oh."

She wrinkled her brow at his sudden befallen expression. Elsa could tell he was trying to hide it by playing it off as a joke again, laughing lightly, but she could see the sadness in reflected in his eyes. Why was he sad over her answer?

" _Just_ your bodyguard. Of course." He tried to laugh it off, but deep inside, it stung a little. It hurt because a small part of him wanted - desired, that Elsa thought of him in a more romantic way. It was such a cold response as well. Even 'brother' would have had more of an emotional appeal to him, but the word 'bodyguard' just sounded so stoic and professional. It was as if Elsa was saying that she did not even consider him a family or friend.

"Jack?" she asked, concerned by his sullen mood that he was desperately trying to hide from her. "A-Are you okay? Is something wrong?" Elsa was genuinely confused by his reaction.

"It's nothing." He tried brushing it off. Jack smiled at her and let go of her hands. He was starting to feel silly for even assuming that she was thinking of him in a romantic manner in the first place. Just because they spent most of their childhood together did not mean that she automatically would develop feelings for him. Feelings that he was starting to develop for her...

Elsa looked after him worriedly. Knowing that it was something that she said to him, she could not help, but feel guilty. "Do you...not like being my bodyguard, Jack?" she asked softly.

"What kind of question is that?" he said with a light-hearted scoff.

"Well I wouldn't ask it if you didn't look so.. _.sad_ after I said it!" Elsa retorted.

Jack did not answer her. He simply looked away, avoiding the question altogether with a wall of silence. However, Elsa was persistent. She moved in closer to him and tilted her head curiously, trying to look at his face. He was definitely avoiding her gaze, keeping his head turned away from her.

"Jack...if I said something that upset you-"

"I told you - it's nothing," he reassured her. "It's just...I'm actually not feeling too well right now. Sorry." He briefly excused himself and hastily made his exit.

This served to further confuse Elsa as she stood there, rooted to the spot. She stared at the door from which he exited for the longest time, wondering why he was behaving so oddly. It was when she told him that she thought of him as her bodyguard that he got upset - she knew it. It just had to be that. But why would he get upset over a simple matter like that? She just said what he was - he _was_ her bodyguard. That was a fact.

As she slowly began to move, Elsa flinched at the soft melody of her ringtone. She picked up her phone lying among the piles of notes on her desk and saw the caller ID to be Edwin's - the young man she met at the gala.

She picked up. "Hello?"

 _"Elsa?"_

"Edwin," she stated, smiling a little. "This is unexpected."

 _"And why's that? I told you I was interested in taking you out for dinner."_ He chuckled on the other end of the line.

"So soon?"

 _"Of course. I...actually couldn't stop thinking about you since the gala. Again, I'd really love to take you out this weekend if possible."_

Elsa nervously giggled, unsure of how to deal with a situation like this. This was the first time she had ever been asked out on a date. She was completely uncertain on what to do, but she provided him a sheepish reply. "I think I can do this Saturday."

 _"Perfect! How about I come by at around 6pm?"_

"Sound great. I'll be ready by then." Elsa said her goodbyes and quickly hung up the phone. She let out a single breath, holding the phone close to her chest. It was not like she held any romantic feelings for Edwin. Sure he was handsome, sweet, and a complete gentleman, but she did not feel anything special with him. However, it did not mean that she was not nervous. She was definitely nervous, also considering that this was her very first date in the long eighteen years of her life.

How does one even dress for a date? How do you behave? What do you do? And of course, the all encompassing question that lingered on every teenage girl's mind - do you kiss on a first date?

Elsa's lips slightly drew back into her mouth at the very thought. Kissing seemed gross to her still - or rather, unsanitary. Especially someone she barely knew - like Edwin.

Before she got too lost in her first date thoughts, the technical matters of the outing came to her mind.

What would she do about Jack? He would definitely tag along as security, since he rarely let her go anywhere alone unless he was there with her. Elsa was also sure that she would want him nearby just in case something like what happened at the gala, happened again. However, she did not want Edwin to feel awkward with Jack tagging along as a third wheel and constantly watching them.

 _"It would definitely be awkward,"_ Elsa thought. She sighed, wondering how she was going to approach Jack on this matter. He would most likely object - saying that it would be hard to protect her while keeping his distance during their date. Not only that, but with how he looked upset just now, Elsa was sure that he would forbid it altogether.

* * *

 _Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap._

Jack idly tapped the end of his metal staff on the dark hardwood floors of his room. He sat on the edge of his bed, holding the extended staff over his shoulder. His blue eyes lingered on the end of the staff as it continuously hit the floor with a soft thump each time he lifted it up slightly and let it fall back. A single, troubled sigh escaped him.

Why was he so upset over what Elsa said?

"Of course you're only her bodyguard, Frost. What were you expecting?" he whispered, starting to hate himself for even thinking that Elsa would return the feelings he had for her. He was being foolish and he absolutely despised it.

Jack wished he could crush these feelings he was starting to develop for her, but whenever he would try, they would come back stronger than ever. They would grow every time he saw her. He knew that he had absolutely no romantic feelings for her when they were younger. He seriously thought of her as a little sister that he never had, but now...as they both got older, he slowly began to realize just what type of person she was becoming.

She was maturing into a bright, admirable young woman with a level-head and elegance that made his knees weak at times, but he knew that was all for show. He knew that inside she was still that anxious, shy, flustered girl that he loved to tease, but secretly found adorable.

Jack caught himself smiling at the thought of Elsa and he quickly shook his head. Setting his eyes into a firm glare, he stood up and retracted his staff. He clicked his tongue out of annoyance and holstered the weapon to the back of his waist as he left his room.

He needed some fresh air. He needed to forget about his feelings for her.

Quietly, he left his bedroom and walked down the hall. He eyed the door to Elsa's study as he passed by it, but continued walking. He exhaled sharply, closing his eyes as he decided to make his way down to the courtyard.

As he reached the glass door that led outside, he felt delighted at the sight of the first snow of the season gently fall down onto the earth. Jack slid open the large door and grinned ear-to-ear at the feeling of the light snowflakes falling onto him. He held out his arms as he walked out to the center fountain. The snow melted against his warm skin where ever it made contact.

Jack let out a little content sigh and his breath came out in a visible vapor, fogging up the air in front of him. He leaned his head back to look up at the light gray skies. It looked like something out of a painting. The splotchy white and gray patches of clouds along with the soft white snow gently floating down onto him - it relaxed him, instantly taking his mind off of what happened with Elsa.

He wished that there was enough snow on the ground so that he could fall back and just lay in it, but the ground was still bare. Instead, Jack took to sitting on the edge of the fountain. As he did so, he noticed movement in the corner of his eye. He turned his head and saw a small light brown bunny hopping around, timidly inching closer to him.

"Hey..." he whispered softly, leaning down to meet the small animal. "Where'd you come from?" He chuckled as the bunny hopped over to his outstretched hand. Its small nose twitched, as if it was sniffing him. "Sorry, I don't have any food on me."

It hopped right onto his hand, much to Jack's surprise. He smiled happily as he scooped it up with both hands.

"I'm guessing that you're not hungry, then?"

He pet the soft head of the bunny's, still wondering where it had come from. Perhaps from the opening on the side gate or maybe somewhere in the courtyard there was a colony of these lop-eared bunnies hopping around. Either way, he decided not to question it any further and just enjoy the company that was provided to him.

Its floppy ears twitched a little, alerted by something disturbing its comfort zone. Jack looked down at it skeptically and asked, "what's wrong?" He heard the glass door entrance sliding open gently and he turned his head to see who it was.

It was Elsa.

As if sensing the unrest and tension between the two, the bunny fidgeted and managed to hop out of Jack's arms. It scurried away into the flower beds, disappearing from view. Jack paid no attention to it as he kept his blue eyes focused on the young woman, who seemed hesitant to approach him.

"Sorry," she apologized, "I didn't know someone would be out here."

"Did you want some fresh air too?" he asked, silently motioning to the seat next to him, inviting her to join. Jack watched her as she shyly took the offer and sat down beside him.

She smoothed out her light blue corduroy pants over her lap nervously. He could tell that she was struggling on what to say to him and he did not blame her. He did leave her in that study on an awkward note.

"I-"

"You-"

The two spoke in unison, stopping when they heard each other starting. They blushed, quickly telling each other to speak first. A series of 'no, no, after you's went by them, only to have Elsa put in the final say. Jack conceded defeat and he pressed his lips together tightly for a brief moment before speaking first.

"I just...wanted to apologize. I know I acted weird earlier. It wasn't because of what you said," he lied. "I was just...feeling sick."

Elsa gave him a deadpanned stare and commented, "you're a terrible liar, Jackson Frost." When she heard nothing from him in response, she cleared her throat sharply and raised her head high, pulling back her shoulders. "Well, I suppose I did say something...insensitive to you too."

"Huh?"

"I just blurted it out, you know, the word 'bodyguard'. You're...much more to me than that, Jack," Elsa said softly, gently kneading her hands together. She looked down at her knees and continued, "I told you this before - I can't think of another person that I trust more than you. I can leave my heart open for you and I know that you won't hurt it." She lightly chuckled, tucking a piece of blond hair behind her ear. "It's like...we're two halves of the same whole. I felt like that since we met. We just have a lot in common, right? We both love the snow, cold winter nights, the same kind of colors, the same type of music, the same movies, the same foods..."

"Well -" he laughed dryly, resting his elbows on his lap as he hunched over slightly. "Actually one thing we can't agree on is that you love musicals. I can't stand them."

Elsa gave him a look, rolling her eyes as she gave him a light playful shove. "Whatever. The point is...I should have given you more credit than what you're worth, because your worth to me is immeasurable."

Jack felt his cheeks heating up at her words. It was happening again. Whenever he tried to crush his feelings for her, she would just pull him back in -unknowingly. "Immeasurable, huh..." he muttered.

Realizing what she said could have sounded like a love confession, Elsa blushed and quickly looked back down to her lap. She stammered, "u-uhm, well...it's...something...like that." Her voice trailed off towards the end of the sentence into a soft mumble. "T-The point is, you're not just my bodyguard."

"Then what am I?" he asked expectantly staring at her.

Elsa could feel his gaze on her and she nervously squirmed. "I...I don't know," she admitted.

"Oh."

Jack looked away from her, turning his attention back up to the sky. He swallowed the lump that was forming in his throat. Again - he was expecting something more, not just an "I don't know." It was disappointing...

"But -!" Elsa exclaimed, facing him again. "-I remember what you said to me that time after my parent's funeral."

He looked at her and found himself staring into her crystal blue eyes. She looked at him with a certain desperation, as if she _had_ to tell him this.

"What you said to me...was - _you're my important person_. Well, you're the same!" Her cheeks were hot with heat. It was a struggle to tell him all this, especially when Elsa was not used to expressing herself openly, but she knew that he had to hear this from her. She would rather endure this type of embarrassment than have Jack be sad. "You're my important person too! Okay? So, don't be sad anymore..." She dropped her head. "Okay, Jack-?"

Elsa widened her eyes when she felt his lips on her cold cheek. She stilled, unsure of what to do. Her entire being was flooded with a warm heat emanating from her heart as she felt his lips leave her. She looked up, staring at him with her bewildered blue eyes.

Jack gave her an ardent smile. It was not the answer he was hoping for, but it was an answer that left him content.

"I understand," he whispered, taking her cold hands in his own. "I won't be sad anymore." Jack brought her hands up to his mouth, smiling, kissing her smooth knuckles gently. "I promise."

She remained speechless, still frozen to the spot from his kiss on her cheek. Elsa vaguely heard him suggesting that they go back inside, worrying that she would get ill if she stayed out there longer since her bulky knitted sweater was loose fitting and exposed her shoulders. She let him help her up to her feet and lead her back inside. The entire time, Elsa kept her eyes on him, still in disbelief that he would initiate such a romantic gesture. He never - _never_ did anything like that, until now. It was only hugs and tight embraces, pats to the back and rubs on the head, but this -

"What's wrong? You're not that cold, are you?" Jack chuckled as he unbuttoned and took off his blazer. He draped it over her shoulders and commented, "you should wear warmer clothes, even if you say the cold doesn't bother you, _Ice Queen_."

Elsa pursed her lips at the nickname. She huffed sharply and moved away from him, dashing away upstairs to her room without saying anything to Jack.

"Hey!" he called out after her, stunned by her erratic behavior. "Elsa!" He scoffed. "Are you serious? Just going to take my jacket?" he whispered under his breath in disbelief. "You're welcome!" he shouted, not sure if she heard him or not since she was gone from his line of vision.

She heard him as soon as she reached her room, but she ignored it. Quickly, she slammed the door shut behind her and she panted as she held a hand over her chest. Her cheeks were flushed and her messy braid looked even messier as she stood there trying to calm herself down.

It was a challenge to figure him out. Elsa hated it - she hated how it was impossible to know what he was truly thinking. He always played tricks and pranked her. The only thing she figured out over the years was that she knew he was joking around whenever he said her nickname - _Ice Queen._ In all honesty, she was starting to despise the nickname because it meant that he was just playing around with her.

Elsa's hand tightened into a fist. "Stupid Jack..." she whispered, trembling. "This isn't something you can play around with."

Confused and anxious with the feelings blooming inside of her, Elsa let out a soft cry - a harsh breath as she slid down to the floor, still holding his blazer close around her. It warmed her up, but she still felt cold and empty as she wept. Elsa brought a hand up to her cheek, touching the area where Jack had kissed her and she felt her heart ache.

She could not take the gesture to heart. Jack was probably teasing her again - playing one of his pranks, but this time he was toying with her feelings. She had thought that he would pick up on the idea that she had _other_ feelings for him...some of the romantic kind when she told him he was her important person. It seemed like he had picked up byinitiating a kiss on the cheek, but in the end it seemed like he was just joking around.

It hurt...

a lot.


	7. Loveless

**Marionette **

**Chapter 7 - Loveless**

 _Warnings: None_

* * *

He could not understand her at all. Absolutely not.

Just a few days ago, there she was, professing that she considered him an "important person" to her. It was almost to the point where Jack thought it was a love confession, but then the next minute, right after he hands her his jacket to wear, she takes off. Then the next day, she just shoves the jacket into his arms and mumbles a quick 'thank you' before briskly walking away.

Ever since then, she was avoiding him constantly - making up excuses to not see him, turning away whenever he tried to look at her face, and keeping her responses to one word answers whenever he asked her a question. He did not want to press her for details or an explanation for her odd behavior, but he had to admit, it was getting pretty damn frustrating.

A forlorn sigh escaped him as he laid there on a sofa in the lounge. He held a hand over his forehead, staring up at the intricately decorated ceiling. There was no much to do for this day. Elsa was home, barricaded in her study since she was still avoiding him, and none of the Guardians asked for his presence at HQ. It was quiet and relaxing, although this did make Jack restless.

He had to constantly be moving or doing something. Lazing around and taking naps during the day was not his thing.

Stuck in a dazed trance, Jack blankly continued to stare at the ceiling until he was interrupted by a certain red head.

"Jack!" Anna exclaimed, popping her head into his line of vision. She snickered, pulling away from the sofa as he quickly shot up, clearly startled by her. "I'm sorry, did I scare you?"

"Anna..." he said warningly, shooting her a slight glare. When all she did was laugh again, he sighed and went back to lying down. "Did you need something?" he mumbled, closing his eyes and pretending that he was trying to sleep so that Anna could leave him alone. While normally he enjoyed her company, he was not up for her quirkiness at this time.

"Mmm," she circled the sofa that he was lying down on and idly paced the area around him. "Not really!" Anna plopped herself down on the sofa opposite of him. She smiled, staring at him trying to sleep.

Jack wrinkled his brow as he kept his eyes shut. "Stop staring at me, Anna. I know you want something."

"Fiiine." Anna pouted her lips a little. "I just need a little favor."

"What?"

"Do you think you can come with me on my date with Hans?"

Jack opened his eyes and looked at her as if she was growing a second head. "Are you serious?"

Anna sheepishly laughed, twiddling her thumbs. "I-I know it sounds crazy, but-!"

"It's ridiculous."

"Stop sounding like Elsa, Jack!" She angrily puffed up her cheeks. "I only came to you about this because I know Elsa would be upset if she found out I was going to go on a date with Hans tomorrow! She just - highly disapproves of him."

"I'm kinda on the same boat, Anna -"

"Jack! Pleeeeeeease?" she asked, dragging out the word pleadingly. She widened her ocean blue eyes in desperation as she clasped her hands together in prayer.

She was relentless, but Jack did not budge. "I need to stay here to protect Elsa."

"She's been home for the past few days! I think she'd be home tomorrow as well! What's the worst that could happen while she's home in her study? Get a papercut?"

"A lot of things."

"Pleeeeeeeease -?"

Jack let out a tired sigh and sat up. He held his head, moving his hand to run through his hair in a fluid motion. "Only way that I'm going with you is if Elsa allows it. And that means you have to tell her about your date."

Anna froze up in fear. "Is there...any way to avoid telling her about it?" she mumbled languidly.

"You know I can't lie to Elsa."

The red head's lips went into a sort of annoyed frown as she retorted, "but you lie to her all the time!"

"About what?"

"Whenever you say things like -" Anna lowered her voice, mimicking Jack, much to his displeasure. "-"oh, I don't like anyone." - "I only like you as a little sister, Elsa." - or, "I'm happy with being your bodygua-"

"Wait a minute, wait a minute," Jack let out a wry chuckle, "I never said any of those things. And those weren't lies!"

She rolled her eyes. "Whatever. You're lucky my sister's inexperienced with love because it's really obvious to me."

"What's obvious-?"

"You like her." Anna smirked at Jack's sudden change in disposition. He looked away from the young girl, shyly and blushing. She cackled in response, proud of herself for hitting it right on the nail. "I knew it! I'm never wrong about these things!"

"Keep it down," Jack hissed, still clearly embarrassed. He hid his face in his hands for several minutes and eventually he muttered, "how long have you known...?"

"Long enough." Anna haughtily crossed her arms over her chest and crossed her legs. She snickered again. "I knew you had feelings for her. It was written all over your face since Elsa started high school. You'd always be staring at her or sneaking peeks whenever she wasn't looking -"

"I was just keeping an eye on her!" he retorted. He was going to fight this until the end. There was no way that he was going to validate his feelings for Elsa, especially not in front of Anna.

"Right and you would do that with such a loving look in your eyes? You're just in denial, Jack and every time you think Elsa's catching on, you deflect it as if it's a joke."

Jack shot her a look of irritation, only because what she was saying was unfortunately - the truth. However, he was not sure of it himself. He let out a frustrated sigh and muttered, "I only deflect it as a joke because...I'm not sure of what I feel."

Not expecting such a sullen admittance, Anna dropped her haughty attitude and furrowed her brow. "What do you mean?"

He shook his head, staring at the luxurious carpet rug beneath the soles of his black dress shoes. "I don't know," he muttered softly, "I can't tell if I care about her because we've been together all this time and because I serve her, or if I... _actually love her_." Jack mumbled the last part, feeling embarrassed to admit it out loud.

Anna pursed her lips slightly, staring at the white haired man for a bit before she stood up. She did care about them, both Jack and her sister, but it was hard being a matchmaker when she had her own relationship to deal with. "Well then! I have a little proposal for you, Jack!"

Quizzically, Jack looked up at her.

"Either you find a way to chaperon my date or I'll just tell Elsa about your secret," Anna grinned devilishly, prompting Jack to scoff in disbelief.

"Are you serious-?"

"The time on this offer will last only for a few hours, Jack," she said warningly.

He was absolutely floored and flabbergasted. Was Anna really threatening him at this point? Was she seriously threatening to go to Elsa about his supposed "feelings" when he was not even sure he possessed them?

"This is stupid, Anna." Jack let out an exasperated groan. "Elsa won't let me go no matter how much I try to beg! Why can't you understand that?"

* * *

"You can go."

Jack narrowed his eyes down at Elsa, annoyed with either of the Winters sisters for being so unpredictable. He felt the bottom of his eye twitch.

"Didn't you hear what I said?"

"Yeah - Anna just needs someone to accompany her to a school function. I'm fine with that."

He cringed inwardly at having to lie to Elsa about Anna actually going on a date, but he knew that she would never let him do such a thing. Not to mention, it would ultimately jeopardize his relationship with the blond if Anna decided to tell her all about Jack's feelings in retaliation.

"No, not that," Jack said, surprised at how calmly Elsa was with this. "I mean - I'm actually going to be leaving you alone - like... _alone alone_."

Elsa finished scribbling something down in her notebook and replied, "you leave me alone whenever you go meet with North. It's not like this time is any different. Besides, I'm going to be home all day."

"Are you serious?"

"Why would I be lying?"

Jack stared down at her skeptically. Even throughout this entire conversation, he noticed that Elsa had not taken the time to look at him - not even once. He was confused to the point where he was almost about to lose it. However, Jack kept his cool and simply resorted to clenching and unclenching his fists, this action going unnoticed by Elsa.

"Fine," he answered stoically, keeping his temper in check, "I'll accompany Anna to her school function tomorrow."

"Good."

Elsa pursed her lips, trying to ignore the fact that Jack was not leaving. She kept her head down, focusing on her schoolwork. Inside, she was a nervous wreck. Her heart was anxiously beating about at the possibility that he found out about her secret date.

This indeed was a perfect opportunity for her to go out on her date with Edwin without getting Jack involved, since Anna suddenly had a _school function_ that she demanded Jack take her to. It was absolutely perfect. However, Elsa knew that if Jack found out about her date, he would drop all plans with Anna and choose to go with her as protection.

Elsa continued to feel Jack's eyes on her. She chose to ignore him further, keeping her focus solely on her textbook. When the tension finally came to be too much, Elsa asked in a stern tone, "did you need something, Jack?"

She flinched when he slammed his hand down in the middle of the textbook that she was reading. Still, she kept her head down.

Jack was extremely frustrated at this point. He was receiving mixed signals from the young heiress and he wanted answers. How could she say something so endearing just a couple of days ago and then the next she was acting like he did not even exist?

"Why won't you look at me, Elsa?" he questioned. Jack set his blue eyes into a sharp glare, angered when she continued to keep her head down and remain silent. "I don't know what you're trying to do," he whispered, his voice shaking slightly, "what kind of game you're playing."

It was Elsa's turn to fire back. She clenched her fist tightly around her ink pen. "What kind of game _I'm_ playing?" She finally looked up to face him. Defiantly, she stared directly into his eyes with her trademark icy cold glare. "What about you!?" Her voice gathered strength and volume as she slowly got up from her chair. "All you do is make jokes and think _everything_ I say or do is a game!"

"Where the hell are you getting these kind of ideas!?"

"From your own damn mouth!"

Jack knew that whenever Elsa started cursing, she was extremely angry. Normally, he would back off, but this situation called for more fire. He wanted answers and now he was going to get them.

Leaning over her desk more, Jack yelled at her. "I'm not the one purposely going out of my way to ignore someone and avoid them! You haven't even looked at me properly since you claimed that I was your 'important person'!"

"I've been busy!"

"Busy doing nothing! You've just been locking yourself up in this study just as an excuse to avoid me! Admit it!" He subconsciously raised his voice, causing Elsa to back off a little. He realized that he was starting to scare her and he drew back as well. Jack ground his teeth together and ran his fingers through his messy white hair, cursing under his breath. "Damn it, Elsa..." He let out a trembling sigh as he closed his eyes. "I don't know anymore."

Elsa gently held her arm, looking away from him. She did not know what to say either because she did not have the answers to her behavior the past few days. She knew she was angry and annoyed at Jack, but she did not know exactly why. He had teased and pranked her plenty of times in the past when they were children, so why was this time any different?

Suddenly, Elsa's phone rang, breaking the silence between the two.

She quickly picked it up and answered it without seeing who it was first. Her heart raced at the sound of Edwin's voice.

 _"Hey Elsa! I was just making sure that you're still up for our date tomorrow?"_

Elsa nervously turned away, but locked eyes with Jack for a brief second. She turned her back towards him and whispered into the speaker, "yes, that's fine."

 _"What's wrong? Why are you whispering? Did I catch you at a bad time?"_

Not wanting to divulge her problems to him, Elsa lied. "No, no, of course not. I'm just - at the library."

 _"Oh okay then. Well, I'll leave you to your studies! See you tomorrow!"_

"Okay, see you." Elsa hung up the phone and let out a soft sigh, hoping Jack did not hear the conversation. However, her hopes were quickly shattered when he spoke up.

"So - when were you planning to tell me about this 'date'?" he questioned, feeling anger stir up inside of him again.

The blond tightly held her phone and turned around to face him. She kept a steady gaze on him as she answered, "it's personal. There was no need to tell you."

"Oh so, now we're allowed to keep secrets from each other?" Jack scoffed, giving her a look of contempt. "First the silent treatment and now you're keeping things from me. Now what were you saying about me playing games?"

"Why are you taking this so seriously, Jack - when you never took anything else seriously before?" Elsa glared at him as she moved right up to him.

"I do take things seriously!

"Yeah, sure," Elsa scoffed, feeling more and more irate with each passing second. She wanted to hurl one of her notebooks at him, but she held back. "You still don't have any reason to probe into my private life!"

"Yes - I do! I need to in order to protect you properly. In case you forgot, Elsa, I'm your bodyguard!"

"And that's all you are and will ever be!"

Jack widened his blue eyes, staring at her. The air around them seemed to still and the silence thickened immediately. He parted his lips a little, bearing the look of shock over his face. The words that came out of her mouth, he could not believe them and from Elsa's expression, she could not believe it either. She stared back at him, dumbfounded with what she had just told him. Her heart beat brutally against her chest - to the point that it physically hurt. Elsa had no idea where those words came from and what part of her blurted it out.

When his expression of shock slowly started to turn into that of pained hurt, she bit down on her lower lip and in a stuttering whisper, "J-Jack...I-I didn't mean to-"

He sharply exhaled through his nose, shutting his eyes as he turned his head away from her. "Whatever," he said in a sullen muttered, "have fun on your date tomorrow."

Elsa stopped him just as he began walking away. She took hold of the sleeve of his black blazer. "Jack -" She felt a part of her shatter when the young man looked back at her briefly and gave her a fleeting glance. Reflected in his blue eyes was just pure pain. Elsa felt every nerve in her body freeze up at this and she slowly let go of Jack. She watched him as he exited the study and as soon as the door clicked shut, she dropped her head. It was obvious - she had hurt him a lot, probably the worst since they had been together.

Her knees failed her as they buckled underneath her weight and she fell to the floor. She held her head and cried, letting the tears flow freely out of her closed eyes. Her shoulders shook and her body trembled. It was a sadness that Elsa could not really explain. She had not felt this way even during her parent's funeral or even after fighting with Anna. She felt confused, hurt, and guilty. The look - the pain in Jack's eyes was something she could not forget. He had never given her such a look before.

Her breath came out in uneven gasps as she tried to regain her composure, but her body would not let her. Elsa squeezed her eyes shut again and she let the tears continuously drop to the hardwood floors.

 _"I'm sorry_ " - that was all she had to say to him, but Elsa hated herself for not being able to say it at the right times. Her pride and inability to express herself held her back. And she hated that so much.

* * *

Jack was not really sure where he was going in the beginning, but somehow, he found himself at the beach.

The cool ocean breeze innervated him as he sat there at the water's edge. The waves barely rolled up to his feet, receding as soon as they got close. Jack watched the waters with a dismal, impassive gaze. Normally the sound of waves and the ocean in itself would calm him down and help him relax, but today that was not the case.

Despite the ocean's inability to relax him, Jack took it as a welcoming atmosphere from that of the mansion. It was a nice change of pace.

Jack tilted his head back to look at the darkening skies. It was starting to become nighttime and the ocean breeze was starting to become chilly, amplified by the winter season. Of course, Jack welcomed this chilly night air. He inhaled deeply, letting a sharp icy wind blow over him.

 _"That's all you are and will ever be!"_

Elsa's words echoed in his head whenever Jack closed his eyes. His brow furrowed as he replayed the scene over and over again in his head.

Confused - was the only word that could accurately describe his current state of mind. He was no longer angry with Elsa, but all he felt was a pain in his chest at the very thought of her. Elsa always told him about how she could fully trust him and leave her heart open for him, knowing that he would never harm her. What she failed to realize was that Jack was doing the same. He left his heart open for her as well, but...

Jack held his head as he leaned his elbow against his knee. He let out a harsh sigh, hoping that it would relieve some of the pain, but it did nothing.

He looked up at the full moon, shining down on him. Jack parted his pale lips slightly, hesitant in saying anything at first. "Tell me...what I'm doing wrong," he whispered, talking to himself. Jack exhaled slowly, closing his eyes. "I just want some answers. I'm so confused...tired...and _sick_ of feeling this way. I am Elsa's bodyguard. So why am I _always_ upset whenever she tells me that? It's who I am. Why can't I accept that?"

Jack gave the moon one last look before biting down on his lower lip and standing up. He brushed himself free of any excess sand and let out one last sigh. "What does it matter," he muttered under his breath. A cold breeze blew past him, gently rustling his snow white hair across his brow. "She's right...that's all I'll ever be."

* * *

"Hey, want to hear something crazy?"

"I love crazy," Hans responded, taking a sip of red wine as he sat across from Anna at the dining table. He gave her a handsome smile and set the delicate glass down on the table. He leaned in closer, showing interest in what Anna had to say.

The red head giggled delightfully and brought her voice down to a whisper. "This is actually the first time I've really enjoyed a date."

"Really?" Hans chuckled in response. "Well, wait until you see what I have in store for next time. If you think tonight is great."

Anna widened her eyes and formed a 'o' with her mouth in excitement. "What is it?" she asked curiously.

"You'll see."

She puffed up her cheeks in irritation and whined. "That's not fair!"

"We still have to get through this night, Anna!" Hans seemed amused with the young girl's energetic responses. She was very animated - producing a variety of facial expressions and using her hands a lot more when talking. He supposed that this was just one of the things he liked about Anna.

"What did you have planned after this?" she asked, shoving some food into her mouth.

Proudly, Hans sat up straighter and said, "well, my father had a client that was grateful for winning his case a while back and that client just so happened to get some VIP tickets to go see that broadway musical you've been talking about recently."

Immediately, Anna's stopped chewing. She widened her blue eyes to the point where they looked like they were going to pop out of their sockets. Anna swallowed all the food in her mouth with some degree of difficulty before she exclaimed, "no way!? They were all sold out for the next few weeks!"

"My family's law firm helps a lot of people," he chuckled, apparently proud of this fact. "Many people owe my father and brothers favors or give them gifts."

"Wow," Anna breathed out, completely mesmerized by how influential Hans' family was. "That's amazing, Hans," she gushed.

"It's really nothing," he replied with a slight chuckle.

Anna giggled, taking a chance to peer out the window they were sitting next to, to look out across the street. She spotted Jack leaned up against his own parked car, idly checking his phone and occasionally looking up at her. Seeing him out there alone, Anna felt somewhat bad, but surprisingly, Jack was insistent on going with her on her date. She did not know what was the cause of his sudden change in heart, but she decided to leave it be.

"What are you looking out there for? Him?" Hans asked, pointing his thumb out towards Jack, who was paying them no attention.

"O-Oh, uhm, yeah!" Realizing that Hans had never actually met Jack yet and that it would be odd to say that her older sister's bodyguard was following them around, Anna quickly conjured up a lie. "I just think...his hair looks cool! Don't you think?" Anna laughed nervously as Hans took another look out at Jack.

"You think I should get my hair bleached like that?" Hans asked, sounding genuinely worried that Anna would say 'yes.' "It would kill my hair, wouldn't it?"

"It would, but I don't think white hair would suit you. Don't worry," Anna laughed, reassuring him, "I think you look perfect just the way you are."

The green eyed man chuckled in agreement. "You're right." Hans took another sip of his wine and paid no more attention to Jack as Anna diverted his attention away by asking him more about his prestigious family.

* * *

Although Jack said he did not mind, he was starting to mind _just a little_.

He let out a heavy sigh as he rubbed his temples. He hated - _despised_ musicals to the very core of his being. Jack pretended to look interested whenever the rambunctious elderly couple beside him expressed their joy by excitedly clapping their hands together at a song's climax. He would laugh along with them, but roll his eyes and let his fake smile turn into a scowl as soon as the couple turned their attention back to the stage.

Although he did not have a ticket, he managed to sneak into the theater under the guise that he was an extra chorus member. Luckily this musical was about a group of deadbeat businessmen and their unlucky tribulations with finding love in the workplace - so Jack managed to convince security in the back to let him in. Apparently, he looked like a deadbeat businessman.

In any case, Jack sat just a few rows behind Hans and Anna. Luckily managing to find a vacant seat in an otherwise, full house. He kept his eyes on the two lovebirds for the entire time, finding the back of their heads much more interesting than whatever was going on, on stage.

As the musical reached its intermission, Jack was the first one to get up. He strode outside the theater and let out a sigh of relief once he was out in the main lobby. Some of the audience began trickling outside, stretching their legs and discussing the musical so far. Everyone seemed to be so enthusiastic while talking about it, to which Jack let out an inaudible scoff to. He decided to take a step outside the lobby just to get some fresh air. It felt stuffy in the entire building.

Jack rolled his head back, loosening up the tension in his neck as soon as he stepped outside. He let out an audible sigh of relief, relishing the feeling of the cold winter air. Feeling rather constricted by his dress shirt, he loosened his tie slightly and popped off the first two buttons. He felt better physically. It was only because of his duties as a bodyguard that he wore a suit constantly, but he did not like it too much. He still preferred a comfortable hoodie over a shirt and tie any day.

A cloud of vapor flowed out past his light pink lips as he looked up at the full moon. It looked no different from yesterday. He felt a slight sinking feeling inside, knowing that Elsa was probably on her date right now as well, having fun. Jack tore his eyes away from the moon for a brief moment, giving off an annoyed aura. He soon realized what he was doing and what he was feeling, and he quickly caught himself.

 _'Why are you jealous, Frost? She's free to date whoever she wants.'_

The little voice in his head was right, but he hated to admit that freely. Although he knew that Elsa was at the age where she could start dating, Jack secretly did not want her to. He hated feeling jealous over nothing, over something that he had no control over.

 _'It's not like you're anything more to her than her bodyguard. You have no right to feel jealous.'_

Jack let out an exasperated sigh. He relaxed his face and stared at the ground before him. He was right - he had no right. He was just Elsa's bodyguard, nothing more. He only existed to serve her. Jack knew that he had to crush these romantic feelings that her harbored for her, but that was easier said than done -

He caught movement in the corner of eye - a couple, strolling out from the theater to grab some fresh air. Jack turned his head slightly at the sound of a familiar female voice, giggling softly.

It all seemed to happen slowly, but he turned and locked eyes with a familiar pair of crystal blues. Jack's breath hitched in his throat when he saw that it was Elsa. She widened her eyes at him, surprised that he was there. The platinum blond stared at him, her eyes lingering on him for a brief moment, before she looked away, looking rather sullen. The young man beside her, her date, seemed to ask her what was wrong. Elsa simply smiled, laughing lightly as she brushed it off.

She glanced at Jack briefly once more, her lips pursed in a slight frown. She looked sad.

Jack felt jealousy bubbling up inside of him when he saw the man next to Elsa plant a soft kiss on her cheek. He turned away sharply, not wishing to witness this any further. His breath came out unevenly, slowly turning ragged as he heard them behind him, just a few feet away.

"Are you enjoying yourself so far, Elsa?"

"Y-Yes." She gave him a slight smile, nervously shooting glances at Jack, who began walking away back inside the theater. Elsa flinched uncomfortably when Edwin placed another kiss on her cheek.

"What's wrong?" he asked, kissing her cheek again, edging closer to her mouth.

Elsa shivered, feeling uncomfortable with how touchy he was being. "U-Uhm - ! Edwin!" she gasped, turning her head away just as he tried to kiss her on the lips.

Jack turned back at the sound of panic in Elsa's voice, motioning to make a move if the case she felt threatened. However, it seemed as though she had the situation under control, silently pushing Edwin gently away as she deflected his physical advances with words.

"I-It's just the first date...and we're out in public," she nervously laughed. "I...want to take things slow, okay?" Elsa gave him an innocently sweet smile, to which Edwin replied with a soft chuckle.

"Ah, I'm sorry. I-I suppose I moved too fast without permission -"

"It's fine!" She reassured him light-heartedly. Elsa seemed to hurry him, guiding him towards the theater again. "Let's just go back to watch the musical?"

The two shared a smile and headed back inside. Elsa glanced at Jack one last time, looking away somberly as soon as she entered the theater.

He was left outside by himself once more. Jack kept his eyes on them until they disappeared from view. He could tell that Elsa was trying to leave quickly, not wanting Jack to witness them any further. He knew that she did not want to inflict any more pain on him. However, it was not pain that lingered in Jack's heart anymore - rather it was concern. He set his eyes into a narrowed glare in the direction to where he saw Elsa and Edwin disappear into the theater.

* * *

"Oh good," Anna breathed out a sigh of relief when she and Hans approached the estate. "My sister's still in her study probably. I thought she would be outside for some reason."

"This late at night?" Hans chuckled. "You're just paranoid, Anna." His face dropped a little as he asked, "are you...going to tell her about us soon?"

Anna twiddled her thumbs together as she replied in a soft, befallen tone, "you know that I would love for my sister to approve of us, Hans, but...I need to give her time. I promise, I'll get her to approve because - I honestly don't think I'll ever fall in love with another guy other than you."

She gave him a goodnight kiss on the cheek, much to his initial shock. Anna giggled at his soft blush.

"I mean it. Well then, goodnight!" She gave him a quick hug and slid out of the backseat. "I'll call you, okay?" Anna happily shut the car door and stood at the front steps, watching and waving off Hans' car as it rolled out of the circular driveway. She giggled blissfully, happy with a successful first date.

As she moved to go inside, she saw an unfamiliar car roll into the driveway. A black sports car pulled up in front of her and much to Anna's surprise, she saw Elsa coming out from the passenger's side of the car.

"Elsa?" Anna asked, surprise apparent on her face. She drew back a little at the sight of an unfamiliar face coming out from the driver's side. He smiled at her briefly, waving his hand and Anna waved back nervously, unsure of how to deal with a sudden situation such as this. She had thought that Elsa was home the entire night.

"How about another date soon, hm?" Edwin asked, smiling handsomely as he took Elsa's delicate hand and kissed the soft knuckles. "I think you'll enjoy it much more than tonight."

"Of course," Elsa answered in her soft, elegant voice. She smiled back at him. "What day did you have in mind?"

"What about Christmas? It's only a couple of days away. There's a Christmas party I've been invited to by a couple of my colleagues from my university. I'd love to introduce you to them."

"That sounds great."

Anna stood there, her mouth gaping in shock as Edwin placed a soft kiss on Elsa's cheek, whispering to her 'goodnight' before leaving. She kept her eyes on Elsa as the young woman came up beside her, seeing Edwin off until he got back into his car and drove off.

"Woah - Elsa..." The red head looked at her sister, her mouth still agape. "You didn't tell me you had a date tonight!"

Elsa nervously laughed, tucking a piece of blond hair behind her ear. "I just wanted to keep it a secret. We're not even officially dating. It was just a small outing - that's all."

"He asked you out on another date!" Anna exclaimed, apparently excited for the blond. "He _totally_ wants to be an item with you!"

"Please, Anna...it's just another date." She coolly brushed it off, although Anna was insisting that he was Elsa's boyfriend now. "Say, why are you out here?"

Nervously, Anna clammed up and began stuttering. "We-Well, you see...I uhm, I just got dropped off! Yeah, by my friend! The school function ended just a while ago so now I'm here!"

"And Jack?"

"He got caught in some traffic on the way back. He should be here soon-"

As if right on cue, the familiar dark blue sedan rolled up into the driveway, drawing the attention of both sisters. As soon as the bright headlights dimmed down and the car was turned off, Jack stepped out from the driver's seat. He briefly glanced at Elsa, but turned away when she awkwardly tried to hide her face by pretending to play with a loose strand on hair. Anna immediately began to pick up on the awkward atmosphere between the two and she tried to alleviate it by speaking to Jack.

"Oh, Jack! Thanks again for taking me to the event at school." Anna's laughter trailed off a little when she saw Jack's rather stoic expression as he came up to them.

"It's no problem," he muttered, looking at Elsa again, who avoided his gaze.

Anna furrowed her brow as Jack quietly excused himself first and headed inside the house. She turned to Elsa, who continued to play nervously with her hair. "Elsa...? Did...something happen between you two? I've noticed the past few days too - you guys haven't been really talking to each other like normal."

"Everything's fine," Elsa lied, her voice dropping. "...We'll talk more tomorrow, Anna, okay? I just need some rest right now."

"O-Okay, sure thing." Not wanting to start another argument, Anna simply let Elsa step inside the house first. She looked on after her worriedly, following her silently. The state of mind that her sister was in, was worrying her greatly, not to mention Jack as well. She knew there was a unspoken tension between them and she wished that she could help. Jack was like family to her and Elsa _was_ her family, so she hated to see them like this. However, Anna knew that if she forced herself into the middle of their quarrel, it would only heighten the problem and possibly make it worse.

* * *

Elsa gently released her hair bun, letting the thick braid of hair fall over her shoulder. She stared at herself in the mirror for a while, the dim lighting of her room warming up her face with a soft glow. Her eyes lowered, looking away from her reflection as she thought back to earlier when she had run into Jack at the theater.

She had not expected to run into anyone, much less him. Elsa drew the conclusion that Anna had lied to her about the school function - which would explain why Jack was there in the first place, but she had too much on her mind right now to be policing Anna. Scolding her for lying would have to be put off for another day.

Elsa's expression visibly changed to that of discontent as she remembered the moment their eyes met. Once they got over the initial shock, Elsa could see the hidden pain in Jack's normally bright blue eyes. That look remained imprinted in her head for the rest of the night. She hated that he had to witness her and Edwin, especially when he tried to get more physical with her. She did not want Jack to see them being intimate. It would have been awkward.

Her attention was diverted to the door when she heard a soft knock.

"Who is it?" she asked, waiting for an answer. When one was not provided to her, she curiously walked over to the door. Elsa slowly opened up the door and felt her heart speed up in anxiety when she saw that it was Jack.

He simply stared down at her with an impassive gaze.

Elsa began to feel a slight uneasiness with his silence and staring. She wanted to say something, but felt as if something was "off" with him. She backed away a little fearfully, gasping when Jack took a step closer to her.

"Wh-What do you want?" she stuttered, her uneasiness growing as he closed and locked the door behind him. "Jack -"

"Why didn't you tell me you had a date?"

"...I told you before - it's my own personal busin-!"

"Like hell it was!" Jack hissed, growing irate. This was past the point of him getting jealous. He saw how the brunette man was starting to get forceful with Elsa, even though she was visibly uncomfortable with his physical touch. "Do you know what would have happened if that guy continued and you two were in a secluded location?"

"His name's Edwin! And I stopped him! He backed right off after that." Elsa crossed her arms over her chest, annoyed and her anger mounting.

"His eyes were _all_ over you!" Jack wanted Elsa to see that Edwin's intentions for her were impure, but his words were falling on deaf ears.

"Because he likes me! Of course he'd look at me!"

"You think that guy actually _likes_ you?" He scoffed loudly, mimicking her by crossing his arms over his chest. "Elsa, I know you're inexperienced with relationships, but you _can't_ be this dense." Jack was starting to feel jealousy rear its ugly head when he heard just how far Elsa was willing to defend Edwin. Spite and anger mixed together inside of him. He gave her a roll of his eyes as he stated, "there's not a single thing this guy would like about you. It's obvious that he's only using you to satisfy his own physical cravings-!"

The sound of a sharp slap permeated the air around them.

Elsa shook out of anger. Her right hand twitched slightly as she panted. She glared at Jack, whose cheek was a bright red from the slap. He kept his head turned away as Elsa spoke slowly. Her voice trembled as she fought to keep her own emotions under control, although she was well past that point.

"Edwin likes me, Jack. At least he's straightforward with his feelings, unlike you."

Jack looked at her in confusion.

"Don't act like you don't know, Jack," Elsa shot out. "All you've been doing the past few weeks is send me mixed signals. All you do is tease me, tell me things..." Her breath came out in a harsh gasp as she tore her eyes away from him. "...tell me things that makes me fall in love with you -"

The white haired man stared at her in shock. His cheek throbbed in pain from her hitting him, but he ignored it as he quietly questioned her. "You...? Fall in love...?" He felt a sharp pain in his heart when he saw her crying.

"- you always...trick me and think everything's a joke. But my feelings aren't a joke and something that can be played around with! You're horrible!" Elsa hiccuped softly and quickly tried to wipe away her tears with the back of her hand. Her eyeliner was running, but she did not care. She was too upset to care how she looked.

At her words, Jack remembered what Anna told him yesterday -

 _"You're just in denial, Jack and every time you think Elsa's catching on, you deflect it as if it's a joke."_

He hated hearing that, but only because he knew that it was the plain truth. Jack knew it himself. However -

"Aren't you just as equally horrible, Elsa?" he whispered.

Elsa looked up at him in disbelief. "Wh-?"

"Accusing someone that their feelings aren't genuine, when they are." Jack looked at her with the look of betrayal in his eyes, pain written all over his blue eyes. He saw how shocked she looked and he hated that this was how Elsa was to find out about his feelings for her.

"J...ack..." Elsa had no idea. She had always thought - _believed_ \- that Jack was simply tricking her whenever he did anything remotely romantic towards her. The feeling of guilt grew inside of her as she saw him look away sullenly. She was foolish. She always told him that she left her heart open for him because she knew that he would not hurt her and he did not. However, she hurt him greatly, numerous times, but he did not utter a word of complaint. And that was what hurt her the most. Jack was always there for her and was always by her side ready to make her laugh and smile, but she was not there for him - to make him laugh and smile. All she did was bring him pain - pain that he hid cleverly from her just so that her smile would not disappear.

Elsa took a step towards him, trembling. "Jack...I'm - so sorry. I didn't know -" She touched his arm, only to have him pull away.

Jack avoided her eyes as he muttered, "please don't play with my feelings either, Elsa." He closed his eyes and said softly, "you have Edwin now...I'm sure you're right. He does love you and you can love him back." The mood was somber as Jack turned and walked away, exiting her bedroom.

"Wait! Jack -!" The young woman stopped him once more, desperately clutching onto his arm, silently begging that he does not leave. She froze when she saw Jack turn his head back to look at her. The pained smile and the hurt in his eyes was absolutely heartbreaking to look at.

He tried to give her his usual heart-warming smiles, but there was no way he could hide that much pain. "Don't worry about me, Ice Queen. I'll still protect that smile of yours...I'm your bodyguard, aren't I? If Edwin makes you happy...then don't worry about me. I live to see you smile." He paused for a bit, looking at her with a befallen gaze. "Goodnight," he whispered almost inaudibly.

She slowly let him go, standing there as Jack exited the room. This seemed to become a common routine to Elsa - watching Jack leave her because she hurt him. Sniffling, Elsa wiped away her loose tears. She had cried so much recently that she felt like her eyes would dry up from all the water loss.

Elsa bowed her head, exhaling - trembling.

"Stupid...how can you say all that with such a sad look on your face?"


	8. Challenges

**Marionette**

 **Chapter 8 - Challenges**

 _Warnings: None_

* * *

"Elsa!"

Anna knocked on the door to her sister's room, pouting when there was no response. She put her hands on her hips and she called out her name again.

"Elsa! Are you seriously going to stay cooped up in your room for the entire winter break? What about your date with Edwin tomorrow?"

"...Go away, Anna."

The red head let out an exasperated sigh. "Seriously? Elsa, let me in. I don't know what happened, but I can guarantee you that talking about it will make you feel better!" She tried to keep her voice chipper and happy in tone, hoping that her elder sister would pick up on it and invite her inside. It worried Anna deeply because Elsa had barricaded herself in her room since the night she came back from her date with Edwin. She rarely came out, only to eat.

Anna had a suspicion that Jack had something to do with this, but she rarely saw him since that night either. He would leave early in the morning to go somewhere, then come back late at night when everyone was asleep. Whenever she tried to approach him about Elsa, he would ignore her and pretend like he did not hear her.

"...Elsa?" Her voice turned sullen, unhappy with how she was being ignored. "I know...you're uncomfortable talking about your feelings and I know...I haven't been the greatest little sister to you these past few years, but - I'm trying. I'm trying really hard right now and I just wish that you'd let me help you. Just for a little while."

Expectantly, Anna waited for a while. As the minutes dragged on, her small bit of hope she was clinging onto was slowly slipping out of her hands. Then -

The door opened up just a crack, only so that Anna could barely see Elsa's face.

"C-Can I come in...?" Anna asked softly.

Elsa opened up the door a little bit more so that her sister could slip inside. As soon as Anna got inside, she exclaimed, "jeez! You should really open up these curtains, Elsa!" She strode over to the large drapes and pulled them apart, letting in some sunlight into the dark room. Anna turned around to face Elsa, only to immediately be filled with worry. "Are you okay, Elsa?" she asked, even though it was obvious that the blond was not okay.

Her normally radiant complex was a sickly pale. She looked as though she had lost weight and her hair was a mess. Anna could tell that she has at least been taking showers and keeping up with her personal hygiene, but not making any efforts for her appearance. Anna worried guided Elsa over to her bed and sat her down.

"Elsa...seriously, what's wrong? This...I've never seen you like this." Anna knelt down in front of her, looking up at Elsa's face. She had a dismal gaze as she blankly stared at her sister.

"I..." her voice sounded hoarse, "I've been nothing, but selfish...thinking about only myself and how I've been hurting..."

Anna furrowed her brow and asked, "what are you talking about Elsa?"

"And he's been nothing, but forgiving and generous..."

"Who? Edwin? Or -" Anna saw tears pooling in Elsa's eyes, softly falling upon her lap.

"Jack," she whispered, weeping, "I've hurt him so much and he didn't deserve any of it. I even made it out to be his fault, but it's mine. All mine."

"Hey..." Anna looked at her sister worriedly and gently squeezed her thin hands. "Is that why you're beating yourself up right now?" She got up from her kneeling position and took a seat on the bed beside Elsa. She sighed a little, looking up at the light blue canopy of the bed. "You know - I honestly thought you were incapable of showing any emotions."

Elsa looked at her through the corner of her eye.

"You didn't even cry at our parent's funeral and I have never seen you express yourself in other ways either. You were always collected and just _together,_ you know? ...I was a little envious honestly. But here you are right now..."

At Anna's admittance, Elsa looked away gloomily and muttered, "there's nothing to be envious about, because clearly, I don't have everything together. I probably ruined my relationship with Jack and I don't know if it can be fixed this time."

"Well, did you try talking to him?"

"No, of course n-"

"Well then, how would you know you can't fix it?" Anna smiled a little when Elsa made eye contact with her. It seemed as though she was finally starting to get through. "Is there a reason you haven't talked to him yet?"

"...I just - can't."

"You can. If you truly feel sorry for whatever it is you did to him, then he'll know."

Elsa bit down on her bottom lip and whispered, "I don't know how."

Anna pursed her lips, staring down at the blond. She was starting to get annoyed. "Then you're not ready to talk to him yet. If you don't know your resolve, then you still need some time to think." She got up from the bedside, causing Elsa to look at her confused.

"What do you mean? I know I feel sorry for what I've done! I just don't know how to express it-!"

The red head let out a loud, frustrated noise, startling Elsa. She set her ocean blue eyes into an annoyed glare at her sister and raised her voice slightly. "You don't have a problem expressing yourself, so stop using that as an excuse to not talk to him! You can express yourself just fine right now to me and with Edwin a few nights ago! You just can't express yourself to Jack because you're scared!"

"What?" Elsa asked incredulously, slowly getting pulled out of her depressive state because of Anna's anger towards her. "I-I'm not scared!"

"Then go talk to him!"

"I can't!"

Anna huffed. "Because you're scared! Admit it, Elsa!"

"Scared of what?" the blond asked, her voice tense with frustration.

"Why don't you figure it out yourself! I'm tired of listening to your self-pitying yourself. Jack deserves an explanation and I really hope you can get over this soon so that you could go talk to him. I'm done here!"

"Anna-!"

Elsa flinched when her sister exited her room, slamming the door loudly behind her. She was left there completely in shock over Anna's outburst. It seemed random to her and she had no idea why she was so angry over how she did not know how to approach Jack. It was only the truth - she actually did not know how to make things right with him.

For the longest time, Elsa sat there on her bed, staring at the door to her bedroom and thinking about what Anna had said. She knew that she wanted to apologize to Jack and make things right. So why was she unable to do so?

 _"Because you're scared!"_

Anna's voice echoed inside of her head. Elsa quirked her lips over to one side, confused with what her sister meant.

"I'm not scared," she muttered, getting up from the bed. Elsa looked over at the vanity mirror, staring back at herself. She looked like a complete mess. Her hair looked like a bird's nest and the dark circles underneath her eyes stood out prominently on her otherwise, sickly pale skin. Shaking her head slightly, Elsa lightly patted her cheeks with both hands. She needed to get a grip on herself and straighten things out. Although Anna's parting words were rather harsh, she knew that she had a point. Staying in her room and doing nothing was ultimately going to accomplish, well - nothing.

Just as Elsa started to walk towards her bathroom, she stopped at the soft sound of her phone. The melodic ringtone carried its way throughout her room. Elsa went over to her nightstand and picked up the small device. The caller ID showed that it was Edwin.

She stared down at her ringing phone for a while, slowly setting her lips into a firm line as she came to a conclusion on what she had to do.

"Hello?" she answered it.

 _"Elsa! Are you still okay for tomor-?"_

"Actually...Edwin," Elsa interrupted him. She kept her voice firm. "I'm going to have to cancel."

 _"...What?"_

"What I mean to say is...we shouldn't see each other anymore." She held her breath, waiting for his answer. "I - uhm - I'm sorry -" Elsa widened her eyes at the sound of him hanging up. She pulled her phone away from her head and looked down at the display screen. He really did hang up on her.

It was a little surprising, especially when Elsa had thought that he was completely enamored with her. However, she remembered what Jack had told her a few days ago. Elsa dropped her head at the thought. He was right, Edwin really didn't like her. Even so, Elsa thought that it was odd that he would just immediately hang up on her like that.

She tossed her phone onto her bed and sighed. It did not matter to her anymore. She had her mind set on the fact that she had to end her relationship with him before they actually started dating. It would have been harder to end things by then - not to mention...

Elsa held a loose fist over her chest. She had a feeling that she did not like Edwin as much as he liked her. When he kissed her on the cheek even, it felt unfamiliar and awkward. She gently let her fingertips touch her cheek. Although she knew that when she got kissed and touched by him, her body reacted by a shy flutter in her stomach and a hot blush, she knew that it was a different kind of feeling than what she experienced with Jack. Even so much as an accidental brush of their hands, made Elsa's heart race. She thought she was going to burst when he kissed her cheek that one time when they were sitting outside in the courtyard.

It felt innocent and sweet - just like the feelings he showed her so far.

Again, she felt her heart speed up at the very thought of him. Pleasurable thoughts about him - the way he would treat her as if she was the most important thing in the world, the way that he would go out of his way to make her smile whenever she felt horrible, the way that he made her feel safe...

But then, Elsa slowly felt hollow pain creep up inside of her. She sighed, trying to relieve some of the tension coiling up inside of her, but it proved to be ineffective. Elsa knew that she hurt him - greatly. She acted on her own selfish accord.

What Jack said to her seemed to resonate inside her her head.

 _"Accusing someone that their feelings aren't genuine, when they are."_

Pieces of her memory slowly came together once more - the expression of hurt he held, the way his normally strong, baritone voice was low in a soft whisper, the words he spoke to her...

Elsa closed her eyes from the pain. Even though Jack was never direct with his feelings, he had dropped her enough hints throughout the years that he held some type of affection for her, but Elsa chose to ignore them - thinking that they were all part of his tricks and jokes. She let out a soft groan, holding her head, thinking back to all the times they have fought. It all seemed so unnecessary now that she thought back to them. They could have all been easily avoided if they both knew how each other felt.

She blushed a little, realizing that Jack had basically confessed to her about his hidden feelings - although it was rather indirect. Elsa as well, knew that she had told him about how she felt as well. However, both of their confessions were overtaken by their anger and pain.

Reopening her eyes, Elsa let out one last sigh before setting her crystal blue eyes into a determined gaze. She knew that she had to start making things right. Her eyes went to her phone and a little smile played upon her face, knowing that she made the right move by ending things with Edwin.

 _'Now for the next step,'_ she thought to herself as she shed her clothes in preparation to tidy herself up to get started on the day. She knew that she owed Jack an apology and soon. It was the least she could do.

* * *

"Maybe you should ask him."

"Why me? I'm not even worried! There's probably nothing even wrong with him. Maybe it's just his teenage hormones acting up again."

" _Bunny_ -"

Jack shot a glare over at Toothiana and Bunnymund, who was standing near the entrance to the training facility at HQ. "You know - I can hear you two." He rolled his eyes at the pair as he wiped away at the sweat that had gathered on his forehead and neck from training. "If you want to say something, say it. Instead of just standing around like that."

"We're just worried for you, Jack," Toothiana said in a caring tone. She nudged Bunnymund in the ribs, glaring at him silently to say something.

The gray haired man stammered for a bit, tripping over his own words. "R-Right, mate. We're just worried about you."

"What else is new?" Jack mumbled, unwrapping the white athletic tape that was around his hands.

Bunnymund raised an eyebrow as he strode over to the young man. "Oi, we're just all worried about you. North told us that you've been coming here every day for the past few days and that isn't really common for you ever since you started staying at the Winters' estate. Toothiana and I came over as soon as we finished our own jobs just to make sure you were alright!"

"So?"

"So, drop the fuckin' attitude."

" _Bunny,_ " Toothiana hissed, warning the tall man on his language. She sensed the tension between the two men and she quickly came in between them, intervening. "Jack..." she softly said, touching his shoulder, "did something happen between you and Elsa?"

He did not answer her, avoiding her probing gaze.

"If something did happen -"

"Nothing happened."

Bunnymund let out an audible scoff. "He's not going to tell you anything, Tooth. If he wants to suffer through whatever it is by himself, then let him. There's no point in offering help to someone that clearly doesn't want it."

"Bunny!"

"I'm just saying - if he likes suffering so much, then let him!"

Jack glared at the other man. He clenched his fists and yelled, "what makes you think I enjoy any part of this!?"

Chuckling softly at Jack's outburst, Bunnymund smugly grinned and answered, "alright, finally we're getting somewhere, mate."

Suddenly feeling embarrassed at his outburst, Jack bit back his tongue and looked away from the other two Guardians. After a moment of complete silence, he finally managed to whisper out, "I messed up...big time."

"What do you mean, Jack?" Tooth asked, gently sitting the young man down on a bench. She sat down next to him, concerned.

"I -" Jack let out a soft exhale through his nose, keeping his lips tightly shut. He looked disheartened as he muttered, "I tricked myself into thinking that Elsa and I...we could maybe...be something more than just a bodyguard and his client." Jack seemed hesitant to admit this out loud as he buried his face in his hand. "I know what the policy is - I can't fall in love, especially with the person I'm supposed to be serving, but -"

"That's _Manny's_ policy, Jack." Toothiana offered up a heartfelt smile. "We're not allowed to have romantic relationships - with anyone. Love can cause weakness and ultimately interfere with our work."

Jack gave her a confused look. "Then...why aren't you guys saying anything about me and Elsa?"

"Oh, trust me, Jacky. If we opposed it, we would have said something a long time ago," Bunnymund replied. "We figured you two need each other. You're good together."

"But, Manny's policy-"

"What he doesn't know," Toothiana cut in, holding Jack's hand in hers delicately, "won't hurt him." She smiled warmly, silently reassuring Jack. "We'll keep it a secret, okay?"

"But -!"

"Oi, quit saying that." Bunnymund sighed tiredly as he rolled his green eyes slightly. "Even when we're trying to help you, you refuse it. Listen here, mate - you can object to this all you want, but we mean it when we say all these things."

Feeling some sort of joy when he knew of Bunny and Tooth's support, Jack smiled modestly, only to have a frown adorn his face once more. "I don't think we're exactly "good together" if we keep fighting every time we talk to each other, because that's exactly how it feels right now." He sadly dropped his gaze to the matted floors. "Besides, there's another guy that's vying for her attention and she's giving it to him. She has another date with him planned for tomorrow and I'm sure she'll enjoy herself."

"What? And you aren't even going to do anything?" the tall, lanky man questioned Jack as he impatiently stood there staring at him.

"It's her choice. I don't have permission to dictate her life - "

Bunnymund intervened with a loud scoff. "That's fuckin' noble of you, Jacky, but you really think that being selfless will help you in the end? Will help Elsa in the end?"

Toothiana shot a glare at the gray haired man, silently telling him to tone down his language. "What Bunny means is -"

"I know. I know what he means. It's okay, Tooth." Jack closed his eyes and let out a singular exhale, slow and steady. He raised his head to look at Bunnymund. A renewed vigor was in his blue eyes as he stood up. "You don't need to sugarcoat it," he stated, looking directly into the other man's eyes, unwavering.

Bunnymund chuckled, smirking at the young man. "You're welcome."

Jack returned the smirk with one of his own. His expression quickly changed into that of a determined, serious look as he looked away slightly. "It's just...not me to be acting selfishly. All my life I've been raised and trained to be a bodyguard - someone who's supposed to sacrifice themselves in order to protect . So...truthfully, I don't know if I can suddenly change myself into the type of person I need to be to deal with this situation. But I think - I can try. Just a little...to be more selfish," he stated, a hint of idleness in his voice, but otherwise, his speech was firm with certainty.

"It's a start, mate."

Toothiana stood up from the bench and wrapped her arms around Jack tightly, squealing. "Ohhh! I'm happy that we can still see you grow, Jack!" She smiled brightly at him as she pulled away slightly. "Elsa's a lucky girl to have a nice man like you by her side."

Jack blushed a little, unsure of how to take the compliment. He simply managed to stutter out a modest 'thank you.' He waited until Toothiana released him to check his phone. The display screen read out 7 in the evening. "I should start heading back," he said, heading upstairs towards their individual rooms to change out of his sweat-soaked gym clothes, get cleaned up, and back into his suit and tie. "There might be some traffic since Christmas is tomorrow."

"Right - it's Christmas Eve, isn't it?" Tooth asked, being uplifted by the very thought of the joyous holiday.

Bunnymund visibly cringed. "Wasn't it obvious when North started going crazy with the decorations around HQ? I'll tell you now, that guy is like a 5 year old when Christmas rolls around." He let out a little shudder, only to have Toothiana nudge him in the ribs.

"You get the same way with Easter. Don't pretend like you don't do it either! Besides, I think it's nice. Brings in that holiday cheer," she giggled softly, holding a lithe hand over her red lips.

Jack rolled his eyes slightly at their banter, smiling a little afterwards. Things never changed between them. Even though he would get into arguments with them, they would overlook it or try to make things better. They were truly like a family to him.

They lingered in the main lounging area, telling Jack that they would be waiting there to see him off. Toothiana said that it would most likely be a while until they could all see each other. Both she and Bunnymund had another assignment to complete, being bodyguards for some foreign diplomat coming in from Corona to Burgess on official business.

As Jack arrived in his bedroom, he switched on the lights and slowly peeled off his clothes in preparation for a nice, hot shower. He stepped into the adjoining bathroom and turned on the shower, letting the water warm up before he got in. He waited, taking this time to look at himself in the mirror. His eyes went to the black snowflake tattoo on his chest - the symbol that he was a part of the Guardians.

Gently, he traced the pattern of the tattoo with the tips of his fingers, dropping his gaze to the sink with a heavy sigh.

Before Toothiana mentioned it to him, he had forgotten all about Manny's policy. Romance was prohibited - Manny reiterated this especially for Jack, since he was hired to protect Elsa for her entire life. Very vaguely, Jack could remember what their mysterious leader had told him. He never spoke face-to-face with him. It was either only through North or through a small boxed intercom system hooked up right outside of Manny's room.

 _"You must never fall in love with her, understand, Jack?"_

 _"I understand."_

 _"You mustn't."_

 _"I know."_

"...I know," Jack whispered somberly, repeating what he had said a long time ago to Manny. Even though Toothiana and Bunnymund reassured him that Manny would never find out about his growing feelings for Elsa, it brought him unrest. It added onto the stress Jack already had of his own internal and external conflict of loving the Winters' heiress.

Jack stepped into the shower, the air around him thick with a hazy steam from the hot water. He let out a sigh of relief, the hot water relaxing his smooth muscles as it poured over his head and ran down his body.

He knew deep inside that a love between him and Elsa was nothing, but a dream. She came from a prestigious family with wealth, fame, and an identity - while he was an orphan his own nameless parents never wanted. It was like she said - he was nothing, but her bodyguard and he knew that he needed to keep it that way. However, he could not stop his feelings of adoration and the need to shower her with affection as the young woman grew up right before his eyes.

He turned the knob so that the hot water quickly switched to cold. He enjoyed cold showers much better, although a warm one was relaxing nonetheless. Cold ones allowed him to think more clearly.

Innervated by the icy cold water, he exhaled slowly through his mouth. He took some soap to his body, cleaning himself of sweat.

Even though he was not sure exactly what type of feelings he harbored for Elsa - whether it was truly romantic or platonic - he knew that he did indeed have some type of feelings for her.

Washing himself free of any soapy residue, Jack set his eyes into a determined focus as he shut the water off. He quickly dried himself off with a clean white towel and went back into his room to get dressed. He pulled on his black dress pants, laced up his dark brown shoes, buttoned up his white shirt, and expertly tied his black tie. As he slipped on his crossback holster and adjusted the leather straps, he came to a resolution.

He knew that he had to speak with Elsa. He was not sure if it would be an apology or a reiteration of his feelings towards her, but he knew that she had to know something. What Bunnymund said was right - being selfless and then wallowing in self-pity afterwards was going to get him and her nowhere. He had to act selfishly, just this once at least.

Jack made sure his staff was securely holstered to the back of his waist, the small canisters were secured along the right side of his torso, and his handgun on the left side was holstered properly. He sat upon the bedside and grabbed a small dagger that was attached to a black leather strap. Jack lifted his left leg slightly and pulled up the cuff to his pants to tie the dagger to his ankle.

He finally grabbed his black blazer off of the bed and his car keys and phone off of the nightstand before heading out.

As he made it back towards the main lounging area, he was greeted by Bunnymund and Toothiana once more.

"Jack..." the green haired woman started first, smiling warmly at him. "Be safe, okay? We don't know when we could see each other again."

"Yeah, take care, Frostbite."

Jack a little face at the endearing nickname Bunnymund gave him, but he smiled nonetheless. "Thanks. You guys too." He walked past them, heading towards the elevator that lead back up to the surface.

"And Jack-!"

He turned around, stopping at the sound of Toothiana's voice.

"Elsa...I'm sure you two will work everything out. You two may be polar opposites of each other, but - that's what makes your love interesting, doesn't it?" She laughed softly, raising her hand to cover her mouth.

Jack gave a little dry laugh and commented, "depends on what your definition of "interesting" is, I guess."

"A relationship without challenges is meaningless, Jack. Whether you really love her romantically or not...no matter what the outcome may be, wouldn't it be interesting to see what lies for you two in the end?"

He stood there, contemplatively, taking in what the older woman was saying. Jack soon let out a soft chuckle and replied, "if you put it that way..." He gave them one last wave of his hand before getting onto the elevator.

The two Guardians watched him until the elevator doors shut and they could no longer see him. Bunnymund quirked an eyebrow as he turned his head to look down at Toothiana who stood beside him.

"Is it really okay to encourage this, Tooth? I mean...I know Manny won't find out if we're discreet about it, but...you know what happened to Nightlight when he -"

"I know, Bunny. But..." Toothiana played idly with one of her yellow and pink highlights, twirling her thin fingers around and around, failing to grab any of her short hair in a spin. She smiled towards the elevator that Jack had left in and commented, "Nightlight was happy, wasn't he? Him and Katherine...they were happy and that's what we all want in life, don't we? Happiness."

* * *

Jack made it to the front lobby level of the small corporate building that housed the Guardians' underground base. The elevators doors opened and Jack passed by a few office workers who were going back up to their cubicles, complaining about the overtime hours they had to work.

He heard their chatter cease as the doors closed behind him. Jack avoided the front receptionist, even though she never really paid attention to who came through the lobby in the first place. He went towards the back of the building and slipped out through the side exit. When the building used to be owned by the Lunanoffs, North said that they could come and go through the entrance just like the rest of the normal office workers without a word of suspicion, however, ever since Manny sold the building off to another company, they had to be more discreet.

Although Jack did not mind, it left a bad aftertaste in his mouth to be slipping in and out of their own base of operations. This all used to belong to the Lunanoffs and the Guardians, but Manny chose to dispose of it all. Jack disagreed with a lot of what Manny decided to do and say, but he kept quiet only because North and everyone else kept quiet as well.

Jack shut the side exit door behind him, finally making it outside. He sighed, leaning against it and closing his eyes.

Manny's policy on romantic relationships still bugged him, but he tried his best to ignore it.

Reopening his eyes, Jack looked up at the night sky, his view of the stars obscured by thick clouds that were producing a gentle snowfall. "Perfect timing," he whispered, smiling at the snow. He always felt at ease at the sight of the icy white flakes drifting down to the earth.

As he walked over to the back lot towards his car, he heard the upbeat ringtone of his phone. He felt his hands clam up a little when he saw the caller ID to be Elsa. Jack ran his tongue over his dry lips, a nervous habit, and took the call.

"Hello?"

He expected the blond's soft, feminine voice, but instead he heard Wendy's voice in a panic.

 _"Jack? Jack! I - oh my god - I don't know what to do!"_

"Wait, what's wrong, Wendy?" he asked, starting to feel a felt dropping feeling in his stomach. He sensed that something was wrong.

The elderly woman sounded as if she was sobbing, gasping in a panic. _"The mistress! It-It's the mistress - she - oh god, I never should have let her go outside to meet him! I knew something was wrong-!"_

"Who, Wendy? What happened to Elsa?" Jack gripped his phone tightly, wishing that the old woman would calm down and be able to form coherent sentences.

 _"She's gone! That Edwin fellow - he took her - he took her! Along with two other men! Oh, Jack - I don't know what to do! She left behind her phone because she was only going to meet him out front for a moment, but - he forced her into a black van and took off! I tried to run after them, but -!"_

Jack felt his breath hitch in his throat. His mind went completely numb. His blue eyes widened as he clenched his fists tightly to the point where his blunt nails were digging into his palms. He feared the worst for Elsa and he only had himself to blame. Why did he have to leave the house at such a crucial time?

Gathering his thoughts, Jack instructed Wendy, "listen to me, Wendy. Did you call the police yet?"

 _"I -!"_ She fell silent. _"Oh god, I'm so sorry. I didn't think about it. The first person I thought to call was you!"_

"No, no...that's fine." Jack reassured her. He knew that involving the police would bring the media into this and eventually cause more of a headache in the end. Although it would make things easier. He ran his fingers through his slightly damp hair and let out a sharp sigh, not sure of what to do next. A part of him wanted to go to the police, but he knew that their process would be slow and they would not have such a high sense of urgency. "Okay, Wendy. Please calm down and tell me - when did they take her?"

 _"U-Uhm...I think almost half an hour ago-"_

"Okay and you said a van, right? Did it have anything odd about it? Or the license plate-?"

Wendy let out a soft gasp, realizing something that she saw. _"It was faded...like it was taken off in a hurry, but I could still make out some of the words. On the side of the van, it said something like, a port...a ship...uhm, Dericks! It was Dericks Shipping!"_

Jack had seen those shipping trucks around on the highways and he knew that Arendelle was a busy port city being so close to the waterfront. He immediately thought of the warehouses at the southern port. It was after hours too, so there would be no workers or anyone there at this time. It would be the perfect place to take someone if you did not want to be seen.

He unlocked his car and swung open the door. His fist tightly gripped the edge of the door for a moment, knowing that there was also the possibility of them not being there like he guessed, but it was better than nothing. This was his only lead on Elsa's whereabouts and every second he spent second guessing himself, the higher the chances were of her being harmed.

"Okay, Wendy...if you don't hear from me in two hours. Okay? Two hours," he repeated, making sure the old maid could understand, "call the police and tell them everything you told me. I'm heading to the southern port. There's a Dericks warehouse there. That might be a possible location that he took her to."

 _"A-Are you sure, Jack?"_

"It's a hunch, but it's better than doing nothing or waiting around for the police to do something." Jack hung up and got into his car. He looked out towards the corporation building that he came out from. In his mind, he wondered if he should contact the rest of the Guardians for help, but he knew that, that would waste time as well.

He started his car and stepped on the gas, speeding out of the parking lot and onto the main streets of downtown Arendelle. Jack drove rather recklessly, ignoring the other cars that he nearly missed or the ones that honked at him when he cut them off. He did not care, the only thing on his mind was Elsa and her well-being. He needed to get down to the ports, as soon as possible.


	9. Together Again

**Marionette**

 **Chapter 9 - Together Again**

 _Warnings: Sexual themes_

* * *

The soft sound of moving water reached her ears and the salty smell of the sea accompanied it as Elsa was forced out of the van roughly.

"Walk," Edwin roughly instructed her, narrowing his hazel eyes.

When Elsa looked back at him defiantly, she felt him press a gun to her back.

"I said, walk," he growled.

The young woman wanted to question him as to why he brought her all the way here to the port, but she could not for she was gagged with piece of cloth and her arms were bound together with rope. Elsa felt him push the barrel of the gun deeper into her back, almost painfully. Grudgingly, she did as she was told and walked ahead of Edwin and his two friends.

It looked like a large warehouse that they were approaching. Elsa looked up at the ominous, dark structure. She shivered visibly, feeling panic and fear slowly starting to take place inside of her. She silently cursed at herself, wishing that she was a little bit more smart with her decisions. She thought to herself - if only she was more careful. Why did she have to go meet Edwin when Wendy told her that he was there to see her in-person? She should have just lied and said she was not home. Why did she have to be _so stupid_ and willingly go outside to meet him, only to be overpowered by him and his friends and kidnapped?

"Hey...Edwin?" one of his friends pipped up nervously, "uh, are you sure you should be doing this? I mean, isn't this the Winters' daughter? Are what you're getting in rewards really worth harming the daughter of one of the largest corporations in Burgess-?"

"Shut up!" the brunette shouted, immediately clamming up his friend. "Don't you know that the CEO and his wife died several years ago? The only ones left to control the corporation is this bitch and her little sister." He turned back to Elsa, who had been listening in on their short conversation. A sneer crossed Edwin's face as he said, "there's no one left that would protect them. And..." He stepped forward and gently grabbed a hold of Elsa's jaw, staring down into her fear-stricken eyes. "...no one that will come save you, Elsa. You know...you made a mistake dumping me."

He looked back at the van and two of his own bodyguards came out. Edwin gave a little nod of his head, towards the large iron doors that led into the warehouse, silently telling them to open it up.

"My father owns this warehouse and all these shipping containers you see in this port. It's a huge company, isn't it?"

Elsa let out a soft whimper, squeezing her eyes shut when she felt Edwin whisper into her ear, giving it a little nibble with his teeth as his bodyguards removed the large padlock to the iron doors.

"You asked me why I'm doing all this before I gagged you...well the answer's simple Elsa. I want what you have. It must be nice - having one of Burgess' largest corporate powers just being handed to you on a silver platter." Edwin roughly shoved Elsa in front of him, ordering her to walk once more, once the iron doors were opened.

It was unbearably cold inside, almost like a freezer.

Elsa whipped around at the sound of the warehouse doors closing behind them. Edwin's bodyguards remained outside, presumably to guard the entrance. Edwin himself, along with his two friends, stood in front of her. The young brunette man held his gun steadily towards her, smirking.

"Poor Elsa...if you had just stayed with me, then none of this would have happened." He noticed her struggling, trying to say something and he walked over to her haughtily. "I suppose I can take this off now, no matter how much noise you try to make, no one will hear you." Edwin reached around to untie the piece of cloth that prevented Elsa from speaking.

She inwardly cringed when he gently tucked a piece of loose blond hair behind her ear. Lashing out, Elsa took a step back and shouted, "don't touch me!" There was a fire in her blue eyes as she glared at him hatefully.

"Do you really think you're in any position to be making orders?" He laughed, only to have it immediately die down. His smug grin was replaced with a scowl as he forced her back against one of the metal shipping containers. "You're powerless here. Just because your daddy gave you his corporation, doesn't mean shit. You're nothing, but a spoiled, rich bitch."

Elsa drew in a sharp gasp as she quickly turned her head, seeing him lean in. She felt him leaving rough, violent kisses on her neck and they trailed down to her chest and shoulders. "Stop!" she screamed, feeling him edging off her baby blue sweater from her shoulders. Her heartrate increased in a panic when she realized his impure intentions. "Why...?" she asked, hoping to catch his attention and distract him.

"Why, what?"

"Why are you doing this? You still haven't given me a decent answer." Elsa felt a short relief when he seemed to take the bait and back off momentarily. "This...this is too elaborate for me just breaking up with you when we weren't even together in the first place. Just because I rejected your second offer for a date -"

Edwin seemed to grow annoyed as he spat out, "do you really want to know why? Even though this is all my father's, not even a single shipping container will be mine! You see, I'm not as fortunate as _princess_ Elsa. I'm my father's own son, a child with my mother who's his loving wife, but instead he wants to give the entire company to my half-sister, an illegitimate daughter my father had out of wedlock with his first love! That bitch deserves nothing!"

"So why me?" Elsa questioned, keeping her eyes firmly on him.

"You? You're just an easy target, along with your corporation. Two naive, young girls in charge of a multi-billion dollar corporation and you don't even have all the rights of it since you're still shy three years of inheriting all of your father's fortune."

The young woman bared her teeth as Edwin forcibly grabbed her jaw to pull her close to him. "So what?"

"You really think you're qualified to run such a large corporation? A woman like you?" he sneered, pushing her back against the steel container. He pinned her down and whispered into her ear. "You may have graduated from Burgess with honors, but you're not qualified to be a CEO, not by a long shot. Women are all weak. The most you can ever hope to be is a trophy wife. You could have been mine and I would have gladly accepted. I would be the president of Winters Financials, what could be better?"

Elsa froze, her whole body going stiff as she let her eyes fall down to Edwin's wandering hand, which slowly began creeping up underneath her sweater.

"...You're quite attractive, Elsa. A little bit of a prude, but that I can overlook." He chuckled against her ear.

She clenched her hands tightly into fists as she squeezed her eyes shut, wishing that she could be anywhere else, but here. He groped her, touching her wantonly. She hated it so much. His touch disgusted her to her very core.

"You sound like you hate women, but you're still doing something like this with me?" she managed to say to him. Elsa saw him pulling away just slightly so that she could see the corners of his lips curl up into a dark smirk. It chilled her to the very core, causing her to tremble.

"Oh Elsa...you still think I'm doing this because I like you?" Edwin cackled, tossing his handgun over to one of his friends. He suddenly grabbed her shoulders and threw her down to the floor, causing her to cry out in pain from the impact.

Elsa's body ached, but she tried to push herself away with her legs, although it was futile. She let out a frightened sound when he straddled her, holding her down in place as he looked down at her with an almost maniacal light in his brown eyes. Her own blue eyes were wide with fear for what was to come. He smiled almost evilly as he leaned down. Before she could do anything, Elsa whimpered, her eyes wide open in shock as Edwin kissed her. He held her neck in a tight grip as he forced her mouth open, slipping his tongue inside.

Repulsed, Elsa squeezed her eyes shut and bit down hard.

Edwin pulled away, a smear of blood on the corner of his mouth as he growled loudly. He looked down at Elsa, who also got some of his blood on the corner of her mouth. "You bitch..."

Elsa yelped when he hit her hard across the face. Her cheek burned with heat from the slap as she laid there, frozen with fear.

"Bite down like that again later on when we get to the good part and you'll be sorry." He motioned for his friends to come over. "Untie her and hold her down. You two can have a turn after I'm through with her," he said, chuckling.

Her breathing was rapid and uneven as she finally let the full weight of the situation set in. Elsa squirmed, blood-curdling screams escaping her throat as the other two men untied her and held her down, one of them keeping the gun point at her.

"Please stop!" she screamed, her voice going hoarse and tears forming in her eyes.

"Good, you're actually going to be vocal." Edwin leaned down to lick her cheek. "Makes it more fun for us."

Elsa sobbed as he roughly pulled up her sweater, past her head and left it wrapped around her wrists. She tried to struggle against his friend who held her hands down above her head, but it was useless. He was putting his weight down on them. She tried kicking her legs up as well, but Edwin was straddled over her thighs, keeping her restrained.

She screamed loudly, hoping that someone would hear her, to come help her. Elsa squeezed her eyes shut, wanting to block out everything - every unpleasant sensation she was experiencing right now. The humiliation, the shame, the disgust she felt as Edwin removed her bra and roughly bit and suckled on her skin.

Sobs wracked her body, too weak and tired to fight back down. She knew it was useless, not when she was outnumbered. Elsa stared teary-eyed up at the high roof of the warehouse, losing herself slowly. "Jack..." she whispered in a broken tone.

"Aw, no one's coming to rescue you, Elsa," he said in a mocking tone. "It's funny how you can just hurt other people without a second thought, but you don't like it when other people hurt you. It really hurt, you know? When you canceled on our date. That was really selfish of you, Elsa. You really are nothing, but a stuck-up brat. I bet you didn't even think twice about how much it must have hurt me."

 _Hurt..._

Elsa let out a soft gasp, widening her teary eyes when she suddenly thought back to what happened between her and Jack.

 _'Pain and hurt in his eyes...Jack...'_

She did the same thing to him. She acted on her own thoughts, never really thinking about how Jack must have felt when she said and did all those things. It was true - she did not think about how much he must have been hurting. She only cared about how she felt and how much he "hurt" her. _How cruel she was_ \- she thought to herself. How cruel she was to accept a date with Edwin right in front of him, completely ignore his feelings and disregard the sweet affection he gave her, never really returning his feelings with any sort of response other than yelling at him and accusing him falsely of toying with her emotions.

' _This is punishment,'_ she thought, her tears ceasing as she continued to stare blankly up. _'Yes...I hurt the people around me just because I'm too scared...of being hurt myself.'_

"Hey, why aren't you saying anything?"

 _'I really am a selfish person._ _I'm sorry Jack...that you had to meet such a self-centered woman like me._ _'_

"Is she okay? She's not like - dying, is she?"

Elsa shed her last tear as she closed her eyes. _'I don't have the right to expect you to rescue me now...'_

"Hey!" Edwin shouted, getting angry with her. "Scream or make some noise or something!"

Elsa peered down at him, her eyes closing, then reopening with a stern look. _'I don't expect rescue.'_ She told herself as she set her face into a serious expression. "You can do what you want with me."

"What...?"

"You can take my body, but I can tell you now - you won't break me. Not by a long-shot." She could tell that she was testing his patience. "Not a _deadbeat_ like you."

Edwin's eyes looked wild with anger as he grabbed the gun his friend held and pressed up to her forehead. "You...You think you're in any position to look down on me, bitch!? You really think I can't break you? Let's see then!"

Elsa squeezed her eyes shut, feeling him ease off a little, fiddling with the belt of his pants. She held her breath, preparing for the worst as she heard him unzipping. Her entire being trembled, honestly scared deep down inside. Just as she heard him dropping his pants -

There was a sound of a struggle outside. They could hear men grunting, along with a series of loud gunshots going off.

"What the fuck?" Edwin hissed under his breath as he pulled his pants up again.

"I-It's not the police, is it?" one of his friends asked timidly. "I bet that maid that tried to chase us down called the cops!"

"No way. Just - shut up for a second!"

The sound of someone screaming in pain was heard from the outside. Elsa felt her heart racing as she stared at the door. Could it be - ?

There was the low thump of something heavy dropping from the door and onto the ground, presumably the large padlock. The door violently shuddered, as if someone had kicked it. After a few seconds later, there seemed to be a white mist emanating from the crack in the door. It flowed into the warehouse, thickening considerably before the door was kicked again, this time, swinging open at full force.

Edwin and his friends stared at the dark figure emerging from the white mist, fearful of who it was that could take out both bodyguards and break open the padlocked, dead-bolted door. They slowly began to ease back behind Elsa, finally releasing her. She brought her arms down, letting the sweater fall back down over her head and onto her torso as she felt a flicker of hope at the realization of who it was.

"Jack!" she exclaimed.

* * *

He knew that time was of the essence at this point. Jack managed to reach the security guard booth stationed at the entrance of the port warehouse field. Inside, he saw a single security guard, eyeing his car suspiciously as he drove up to the barricade. He pulled up, rolling down his window as the security guard questioned him.

"What are you doing here?"

"I need to get inside."

"I'm not allowed to let anyone in-" the guard stopped, holding his breath as Jack pulled out his gun and pointed it at him.

Jack saw that the guard was slowly moving to draw his own gun, holstered to his waist. He let his eyes drop to it, then look back at the guard's frightened face. "Did a van come through here tonight?" he questioned, his blue eyes glaring at the man in a intense stare.

"Y-Yes, maybe just half an hour ago."

Seeing as how he was still trying to make an effort to reach for his gun, Jack snapped his attention back by saying, "I can bet you right now - I can pull my trigger faster than you can draw out your gun. Just let me through and I won't harm you."

Without a word, the security trembled as he pushed a button, raising the barricade to let Jack through. "J-Just don't shoot, okay?"

Jack reholstered his gun and stepped on the gas. The car sped away with a low roar of the engine towards the rows of warehouses. Luckily, there were no cars present at this time, so in his mind, finding the van would be easy. And unless Edwin hired a professional team, which Jack doubted due to Wendy's words, he knew that they would do a sloppy job at parking the van as well.

He sped up and down the rows upon rows of warehouses without much luck. As he got closer to the waterfront, he turned a corner sharply and spotted a black van parked just a few warehouses down.

Bingo.

As he drove closer, he noticed two men in neat suits, standing outside the doors to the warehouse. They had to be where Elsa was. Jack stopped the car and saw them approaching him suspiciously, guns drawn and everything.

"Hey!" they called out to him as he turned off the engine and quietly stepped out. "Let's see your hands!"

Jack calmly raised both hands, keeping his eyes focused on the two men.

"Come over here slowly and get on your knees!" When Jack did not budge, they yelled, "now!"

As Jack walked over, he heard the distant sound of a female voice screaming. He furrowed his brow, knowing that it was Elsa. He wanted to hurry this up and get her out of there, but he knew that in this current position, he would be shot dead right on the spot. His heart pounded in anxiety when he heard her screaming from inside the warehouse again. Even so, Jack did as he was told and got down on his knees.

"What are you doing here?" one of them questioned, walking up to him.

Jack did not respond, irritating the man.

"Not going to talk?" He brought back his leg, moving to kick Jack in the head. However, he saw it as the opening he was waiting for.

Moving faster, Jack quickly grabbed a hold of his ankle and gave it strong pull, causing the man to lose his balance and fall over forwards. Jack then quickly turned around, crouching as the man fell onto his back. Jack focused his attention on the other bodyguard, seeing him ready to fire his gun. In a split second decision, Jack turned, grabbed a hold of the fallen bodyguard's shirt and tie and stood up, using him as a shield when the other bodyguard shot of several rounds of gun fire.

"AHHHH!" The one Jack was holding cried out in pain from the bullets piercing his back.

Not meaning to shoot his own comrade, the other bodyguard faltered and Jack used this chance to grab the gun belonging to the man he was holding and fire off rounds into both of the second bodyguard's shoulders and arms. He immediately let go of his gun, screaming as he fell to the ground, holding his bloody arms.

Jack threw away the body of the man he was holding by the shirt collar, letting him fall lifelessly to the ground. He paid no extra attention to either of them, one writhing in pain and the other one, indirectly killed by him. Normally, Jack was opposed to killing his opponents, but this time was an exception. Solely because he knew that they were harming Elsa. None of them deserved any mercy in his mind.

Seeing the large padlock on the warehouse door, Jack immediately took out a canister of liquid nitrogen and poured a small amount on the lock. A white vapor erupted from the lock as soon as the chemical made contact with it. Jack resealed the canister and gave the lock a swift kick. It easily broke and shattered from the metal that turned brittle from the extreme cold.

Using all of his strength, Jack gave a pushing kick to the iron doors, only to have them still remain tightly shut due to a deadbolt. Noticing this, he reopened the liquid nitrogen canister and splashed the entire content of the container onto the deadbolt area. A large amount of vapor was produced, seeping into the warehouse and surrounding him as he waited for the chemical to completely freeze the metal to its core.

Jack took a step back, then gave the door another powerful kick.

The metal deadbolt shattered, along with some sections of the door. The once tightly shut iron doors swung open in a wide, inward arc, allowing him access inside.

"Jack!" he heard Elsa call out to him.

The white mist produced from the nitrogen slowly dissipated, letting Jack get a clearer view of the scene in front of him. He saw Elsa's disheveled appearance, the red abrasions on her face - indicative that she had been hit hard. The frightful expression she wore on her face as well as her slightly redden eyes from crying - everything about her told him that she was assaulted by Edwin and his friends.

He set his eyes into a dangerous glare, almost in a bloodthirsty manner. He reached around back, releasing his staff from its holster on his back. The minimized staff extended out to its full length as he flicked his wrist.

"You..." Edwin said, keeping the gun pointed to Jack. His hand shook as he tightly gripped the handle. "I remember you. You were the one that was dancing with Elsa before me at the gala."

Jack did not say anything, instead choosing to start walking over to all of them slowly. His expression and demeanor was menacing, even slightly scaring Elsa to some degree. She had never seen him in such a state of pure anger.

"...Jack..." she whispered, staring at him as he came over to them.

Edwin backed away a little and looked to his friends. "Well - hurry up! Get him!" he barked out.

The blond saw them running towards Jack, poised to attack him. She moved to get up herself, but instead she felt a hand grab her arm in a vicegrip and roughly pull her up.

"Get up," Edwin growled, wrapping his arm tightly around her neck, having her in a choke hold. Elsa cried out a little from fear when she felt him hold the gun up against her head. "Shut up," he hissed into her ear threateningly. "Let's go. You scream or make any noise, I'll put a bullet into your head. Got it?"

Helplessly, Elsa was dragged away just as she saw Jack fighting with Edwin's friends. She looked on, wishing to call out to him, but the cold barrel of a gun pressed her to her head convinced her to stay quiet just like Edwin said.

Jack spotted movement in the corner of his eye as he almost effortlessly fought with the two. He saw Edwin dragging Elsa off further into the warehouse.

"You should do your best to pay attention to us!" the one with a heavy build said as he threw a punch towards Jack. Swiftly, Jack dodged it, only to see the slightly thinner one charging at him with a metal pipe. He blocked it with his staff just in time. The two weapons shrieked as the metals slid across one another.

Jack threw him off, swinging his staff down sharply. With some light footing, he quickly put some distance between him and the tag-teaming friends. He assessed them carefully. The burlier one was built like a heavyset football player - which he assumed he actually was from the Burgess University letterman jacket he wore, while the other one was only slightly smaller in terms of body frame - slimmer, but broad shouldered and fit, similar to Jack.

"Who are you?" the one holding the metal pipe questioned. "You her bodyguard or something?"

The white haired man did not answer them. Instead, he rushed forth, taking on the offensive. He blocked an overhead swing of the metal pipe with his staff, crouching down and aiming a sweeping kick to the burly one to knock him off his feet. It was quick, managing to get the large man to lose his balance, but not quite enough to get him to fall down.

Jack stood up, kicking the other one in the center of his chest, pushing him away.

He stumbled, coughing at the sudden upset his diaphragm experienced. Using this chance of a momentary opening, Jack went for him. He minimized his staff, took a wide step forward, and punched the other man in the stomach. He grunted in pain, but seemed to force himself to fight back. Jack spotted him raising his arm to swing the pipe at him again.

With a sharp spin, Jack extended his staff to full length again and blocked it. Without missing a beat, he jabbed the end of the staff into the base of the man's neck. He coughed violently from being hit at such a vital region.

"Come here!" he heard the burly one say gruffly.

Jack felt a sharp yank of someone grabbing the back of his blazer. He was thrown off his balance, falling over backwards. However, he minimized his staff quickly and used the momentum of the pull to perform a handspring. He aimed a kick, while flipping over, at the man's head, however, he narrowly managed to dodge it.

With an almost "wind-like" agile grace, Jack landed on his feet. He watched the two regain their balance and from the nervous glances they gave each other, they were unsettled with how Jack was handling them. They had assumed that it would be an easy fight since they clearly outnumbered him.

Jack as well, assumed that this would be an easy fight. He thought these two would just be a couple of kids with only street fighting knowledge, but they seemed to have some sort of knowledge in self-defense. However, Jack knew that he had to end this quick. He had no idea where Edwin dragged Elsa off to and he had no more time to waste on these two.

He saw the one with the metal pipe make his first move, immediately followed by the burly football player. Jack waited, calculating on the proper time to strike. His grip tightened on his minimized staff and his cold blue eyes were narrowed in a focus gaze.

The two approached and just as they were within arm's reach, Jack reacted.

With the flick of his wrist, the staff extended and he swept it clear across the floor. Hitting the fragile tendon of the one carrying the metal pipe, he fell over towards Jack, who quickly minimized his staff again. He met him halfway through the fall by grabbing the collar of his shirt and kneeing him hard in the abdomen. He gagged, but the white haired bodyguard gave him no time to recover as he turned, grabbed his arm, and threw him over his shoulder towards the other man.

The two grunted as they collided into each other, however, the larger one seemed to be unaffected by the impact - Jack assumed it was because he was used to them as a football player.

As his friend slumped to the ground weakly, the football player stepped over him and started his assault on Jack.

"Stay still, would 'ya?" he growled in frustration as he tried hard to land a hit on Jack, who continued to glide and step backwards, dodging the punches almost effortlessly.

Jack felt his back meet the cold metal of a shipping container and he saw the other man smirk at the sight of him finally being cornered.

"Gotcha-!" He threw a punch, only to have Jack quickly duck down, causing him to land a punch on the shipping container. The punch made a slight dent in the metal, but it surprised Jack somewhat when he saw that he looked unaffected. Jack knew that this was a bad match-up and he really needed to end this at whatever chance he got. He had an easier time with men that held guns, surprisingly, much like the bodyguards that were posted outside, not guys that fought with brute strength.

Jack set his jaw and elbowed him hard in the diaphragm, stunning him briefly. Using this short time frame, Jack jabbed his minimized metal staff hard onto the side of the guy's head.

He let out a yell, staggering backwards as he held his head in pain.

Spinning his staff once over, it extended and Jack unleashed a barrage of blows. He kept it extended when relentlessly attacking, but then quickly minimized it with a short spin whenever it looked like the burly man was about to attack him. He would dodge the attacks, knowing that blocking his punches could possibly result in his staff breaking or bending. If he could punch a shipping container with no problems, Jack was sure he would damage his staff even more easily.

Jack gave one last kick, straight to the diaphragm, literally knocking the wind out of him.

He coughed as he staggered weakly backwards, finally collapsing from exhaustion and the pain of being hit multiple times with the metal staff.

Jack looked at the two briefly, seeing as he had taken care of them, and went off deeper into the back of the warehouse in search of Edwin and Elsa. He ran down multiple rows of stacked shipping containers, looking up and down for any signs of them.

"Elsa!" he finally called out, hoping that there would be a response.

He stopped briefly, suddenly hearing Edwin's voice from behind.

"Don't move...until I say you can. Or else she dies."

Jack heard the sound of a gun loading as he slowly turned his head back. He saw them, just a few feet away from him. Elsa's frightened blue eyes were pooling with tears as she let out a soft cry when the gun dug deeper against her scalp.

"Th-There's no need for you to do this Edwin, it's over-!" she tried to say, only to have him bark at her.

"I thought I told you to stay quiet!" He tightened his arm around her neck, choking her.

"Let her go!" Jack quickly said.

Edwin looked at him coolly and demanded, "put all your weapons on the floor. Now! And get down on your knees."

Jack dropped his staff, then took off his blazer to take off his crossback holster. He dropped both items on the floor as well and slowly turned around so that Edwin would be able to see. "There. Happy?"

"Down on your knees," the brunette reiterated. A slow grin began to spread across Edwin's face as he saw Jack doing as he was told. "Good. You must be used to taking orders...bodyguard, no? Unlike this one -" He grabbed Elsa's jaw, eliciting a whimper from her. Edwin looked at Jack, smirking at the slowly changing expression as his hand trailed down to bury itself underneath Elsa's sweater.

She tried to move her hands, but Edwin had rebound them with rope and the rough fibers were digging into her wrists. Elsa let out a little sound, a mix of embarrassment and fear as she felt the man touch her inappropriately. She tried not to look at Jack, knowing that this would tear him apart.

"Please...stop. N-Not in front of him - !"

"Oh?" Edwin laughed, seeing Jack's face turn into that of murderous anger and Elsa's pleas to stop. He started putting two and two together. "This is hilarious," he commented. "You. Bodyguard...does this really upset you? When I touch your master like this?" His hand played with Elsa's breasts, causing her to let out a cry in protest.

Jack clenched his fists as he seethed. "Get...away from her." His voice was dripping with venom, a dangerous intent to kill Edwin right then and there.

"Most bodyguards don't care, you know? Sure - they want to protect their clients, but you...your reactions are different. You're getting angry like -" Edwin paused for a moment, looking as though he was searching for a word, " - you love her." He saw a slight change in Jack's expression at the statement and he threw his head back and laughed loudly. "You do!? This is - !" He chuckled as he faced Elsa, "did you know this? Your own bodyguard fell in love with you!"

Jack saw Edwin face him again, grinning almost sadistically. "You must be stupid or blind. There's nothing special about this bitch." He threw Elsa down roughly, making her cry out sharply from the impact.

"Elsa -!" Jack tried to move towards her, but Edwin fired off his gun, hitting the white haired man in the shoulder. He grunted sharply in pain, soon after, feeling warm blood spread out around the bullet wound.

Elsa let out a startled scream. "Jack-!"

"Didn't I tell you not to move?" Edwin said lowly under his breath. He kept his gun pointed at Jack, who held his bleeding shoulder. His breathing grew slightly labored at the intense pain originating from the wound. "So are you blind? Or are you just stupid?" He walked over to Elsa, peering down at her as he cooed, "she's so pitiful, isn't she? You must have a hard time protecting such a pathetic gi-"

"...She's not pathetic."

"Huh? This bitch?" the brunette asked incredulously. "Are you fucking stu-?"

"She's strong, resilient..." Jack said between labored breaths. He looked at her lying there, staring directly into her wide eyes. "...elegant, maybe a little bit stubborn and over-confident sometimes...not to mention, really dense and really frustrating...and confusing. But - I like her still." Jack smiled a little at her and turned back to Edwin.

He sneered. "You named off more negative traits than good ones, do you realize that? And you still can say that you like her?"

"I guess I really am stupid like you said I am." Jack gave him a smirk back.

Edwin glared down at him, clearly annoyed. "You're in no position to be smart-mouthing me." He walked over close to him and held his gun down, pointed directly at Jack's brunette man glanced at Elsa and chuckled darkly. "Say goodbye to your beloved bodyguard, El-"

He stopped just as Jack hit the gun out of Edwin's hand, the firearm sliding across the ground. Jack used his injured arm with some degree of difficulty and pulled out the concealed dagger he had around his ankle. With it, he lunged forward and stabbed it deeply into Edwin's shoulder. He ignored the brunette's screams of pain as he clenched his teeth and drove the dagger as deeply as it can go. He finally released his hands from the handle, standing there panting as he watched Edwin stumbling around before slumping down against one of the containers. Jack stood over him menacingly, watching him try to pull the dagger out. He stated in a low voice, "you should leave that in there unless you want to bleed out."

"Y-You son of a bitch..." Edwin stammered, shaking as he held his badly injured shoulder. He started to look a little pale, partly due to the blood loss and partly due to his own jarring thoughts of being stabbed.

Jack left him be and turned his attention over to Elsa, who slowly sat up to meet him.

She looked away, feeling embarrassed to look him in the eyes directly. They both heard the distant sound of sirens approaching the warehouse. As Elsa felt him untying the ropes to free her wrists, she squeaked out, "J-Jack...I'm -"

"- I'm sorry," he finished, causing her to stare at him in surprise, wondering why he was the one apologizing.

Jack glanced at her through his eyelashes, then looked back down as he softly muttered, "I was truthfully trying to avoid you the past few days. If I didn't, then all this could have been avoided."

He helped her up onto her feet and he went over to grab his discarded belongings. Elsa felt her heart speed up when he wrapped his blazer around her, making her decent. She felt tears well up in her eyes, relieved that all of this was finally over, but also in disbelief that Jack had actually come for her. As Edwin molested her, all Elsa could think of was that she was being punished by some higher being for being cruel to Jack. All the emotional pain she gave him was finally retaliating in the form of physical and mental pain for her - however, thanks to Jack, it never escalated to that point. She had thought that he would still be angry with her, hurt, and would have cared less if she had gotten kidnapped.

Elsa turned to Jack, as he quietly led her out of the warehouse. She parted her lips, wanting to ask him a question that had formed in her mind. "J-" The sound of the police entering the warehouse interrupted her.

"Elsa Winters!" they called out for her.

Jack gave her a weak smile. "Let's go. It's been a long night, hasn't it?"

She gave him a fleeting glance, slightly upset that she could not say anything to him still. Even though her head was bursting with words to say to him, apologies that were very much needed, she simply nodded her head and quietly walked a few paces in front of Jack as they left the warehouse behind them.

* * *

"...El-?...Elsa...Elsa?"

She felt a light hand on her shoulder as she blinked several times to clear the sleep from her eyes. When she finally came to her senses, Elsa flinched, letting out an audible gasp as she drew back from whoever it was that touched her. It felt repulsive - thinking about to how lewdly Edwin had touched her earlier. However, Elsa immediately regretted her involuntary action when she saw that it was no one other than Jack, who was staring at her with concern as he stood in front of the open car door.

"Elsa..." he whispered softly, looking away briefly. "Sorry...I just wanted to wake you up because - we're here."

 _That's right_.

Elsa vaguely remembered that once they had left the warehouse, she had to provide her testimony to the police and get checked out by the medics. She faintly remembered seeing Edwin and his friends being handcuffed and taken away, but could not remember anything else after that. She assumed that she had been overcome by fatigue, that she just fell into a deep sleep.

Jack moved, breaking Elsa out of her trance. His downcast gaze appeared disheartened as he asked, "can I...?" he asked, hesitant on touching her to help her out of the car. "The EMT's said that you'll be fine, but..." Jack took a look at her. Her thin wrists were wrapped in a white bandage from the rope burns she suffered and the abrasion on her cheek was covered with a thin patch-like bandage. Overall, she did not suffer too much physical trauma, but Jack knew that, that was not her only trauma. With the way that she was acting, slightly frightened and timid, he knew that she was relapsing from the sexual assault.

The blond managed to climb out of the car herself, stumbling a little at the end, her legs shaky. She felt Jack catch her, keeping her up on her feet.

He closed the car door behind her and said, "I'll take you up to your room, okay?" His voice remained soft and wispy, not wanting to startle her or send her into a state of anxiety.

As they got up to the front door, it opened up, revealing a very relieved Wendy and a joyful Anna.

"Elsa!"

"Mistress!"

They both embraced the young woman as soon as she made it past the doorway. Elsa greeted them happily, grateful that she could see them again.

"I apologize deeply, Mistress," Wendy said, bowing her head in shame. "I should have done more-"

"It's okay, Wendy. You did all you can and that was more than enough." Elsa smiled warmly at the elderly maid, genuinely grateful. "You don't need to say anything."

Overwhelmed by her kind response, Wendy bashfully nodded, wiping away some loose tears that had gathered in the corner of her eye. "Thank you, Mistress! I'm happy that you are alright."

Anna piped up, grasping at Elsa's hands tightly. "I'm sorry too!...I should have picked up that Edwin was a bad guy before he tried to go out with you again-"

"You're not a mind reader, Anna." Elsa giggled lightly. "You couldn't have possibly known."

"But still-!" She let out a sharp sigh, angry with herself for not being able to do anything.

Sensing this, Elsa told her quickly, "just being here right now is more than enough for me. Thank you Anna." She gave her an endearing smile and pulled her in for a tight embrace. As her sister returned the hug, Elsa winced in pain, quickly apologizing. "I-It still hurts a little," she sheepishly laughed. "Sorry..."

"Oh! Sorry! I - jeez - I didn't mean to - I mean, why are you the one saying 'sorry'?" Before Anna started rambling off even more, Jack intervened.

"The medics said she should get some rest," he said, carefully taking Elsa's arm, supporting her.

"Oh! Right! Of course!" the red head quickly said nervously. "U-Uhm, then - rest well, Elsa!"

"Sorry, Anna," Elsa said before she left the entrance hall. "We'll talk more later, okay?" She flashed her a quick smile, before carefully making her way up the steps. As Jack moved to help her up the stairs, Elsa insisted that she can walk by herself. With a silent look of concern, Jack asked if she was sure, to which she replied with a small smile of reassurance.

"Jack -" Wendy said to him, allowing Elsa to climb upstairs by herself. The old maid came up to him, waiting until Elsa disappeared into the hallway of bedrooms. "Thank you again...for bringing the mistress home safe."

"It's my job, Wendy," Jack modestly replied. He saw her eyeing the blood stain on his white dress shirt and he lifted his blazer just slightly to look down at it. Looking back to her, Jack said, "I'm fine. It just hurts, but the EMTs said that it's not life-threatening." He cocked his head slightly to the side, wondering what was troubling Wendy still.

Anna joined them, quietly standing beside the maid. They looked at each other with some degree of understanding as to what was troubling each other. Finally, Anna spoke up first.

"Jack...we don't want to put such a heavy burden on you by saying this, but...it's Elsa."

His mood quickly turned dismal. "What about her?"

Wendy spoke. "She needs you. Although every one of us here has been with the mistress for most of her life or even the entirety of it...she seems to open up to you the most."

"We don't know exactly what happened to Elsa tonight, but even before all this happened, she was still upset - even going as far as locking herself up in her room," Anna explained, holding her arm. She squeezed it tightly as she continued. "I did talk some sense into her, but...I think she needs you to talk to, Jack. Elsa - she feels guilty for what she's said and done to you. I don't know what it is exactly, but you should talk to her. Please? For her sake...and for yours too."

Jack furrowed his brow a little, looking away from the red head.

"I know you've been hurting as well from whatever it is that happened between you two," Anna stated. She glumly casted her gaze to the well polished marble floors. "You're both family to me...so it hurts me too seeing you two fighting."

Inhaling, then exhaling softly through his mouth, Jack relaxed himself. He felt his nerves acting up at the mere thought of having a one-on-one conversation with Elsa. "I'll talk to her," he told Anna. "Sorry -" he looked to Wendy as well, "for making both of you worry."

"You have nothing to be sorry about to us, Jack." Wendy smiled, the wrinkles around her mouth and eyes deepening. "We just wish for the two of you to get better."

Jack stepped up onto the first step of the double staircase. "We'll try," he muttered, unable to give a solid answer. He was not quite sure how things would transpire from there. He would like to hope for the best possible outcome, but the past few days have been nothing, but a constant tug-of-war between him and Elsa; each fighting for control over their feelings and the feelings of the opposing person. So he honestly had no idea how things were going to turn out.

The walk towards Elsa's room was nerve-wracking, his own footsteps sounding deafening to his ears. It would be the first time in a couple of days that he was actually going to talk to her - _actually._ He tried to keep his composure, but he could feel his hands getting clammy as he reached her bedroom. His heart pounded inside of him as he raised a hand to knock at the door. He had thought that he hit the door harder than that, so he was surprised to hear almost nothing when his knuckles made contact with the hardwood door. Jack stood there for a while, wondering if she had even heard him.

"Elsa...?" he tried calling out softly. He pressed his ear to the door and heard the faint sound of a running shower. Jack sighed as he pulled away from the door and leaned his back against the adjacent wall. His skull made a dull thud as he leaned his head back tiredly. Jack slid down the wall and took a seat on the floor, deciding to wait until Elsa finished up her shower.

He let out a solitary sigh, bringing his knees up slightly to place his elbows on them. Jack stared up at the ceiling, the dull yellow lamps that hung from it weakly illuminating the long hallway. Jack closed his eyes and focused his attention on his ears, listening intently for the sound of the shower stopping.

* * *

She wished she could be underneath the running water forever. She also wished that she could rub her skin raw, just to cleanse herself of any physical traces Edwin left on her. But she knew that she could not - not when she had the chance of hurting herself more by going over an injury on accident. Elsa sighed, bowing her head and letting the hot water run over her head and down her body.

Flashing back to her assault, Elsa shuddered and hugged herself tightly. She squeezed her eyes shut, wishing that she could erase her memories from that evening. The repulsive feeling of Edwin's hands all over her body, the way he stole her first kiss, the way he left bright red bite marks everywhere -

Elsa crouched down in the shower, sobbing softly as she let the water rain down on her.

She felt degraded, weak, and dirtied. Even though she told him at the time that he could not break her even if he did rape her, Elsa knew that she would have lost it if he actually followed through. She could not handle the very thought - the very real possibility that Edwin could have raped her if Jack did not find her in time.

She let out another soft whimper, clenching her teeth together tightly as she held her head, clasping her hands over her ears in a vain attempt to drown out the noises he made, the words he told her, her pleading cries for help -

Her injuries were starting to sting from being under such hot water for too long.

Elsa slowly came back to reality and the memories disappeared - for now. She reopened her eyes and sniffled, turning off the shower. Although the hot water helped relax some of her muscles, her whole body ached still.

Grabbing a dry towel, she dried herself off and wrapped it around her naked form, clutching at the two ends tightly to her body so that the towel would not slide down. She stepped out of the bathroom and into her room. That was when she passed by the full length mirror she had hung up next to her vanity. At first, Elsa looked away quickly, not wishing to see herself - scared of who she would see in the mirror. However, she found herself slowly looking over anyways, curiosity tugging at her mind.

Her platinum blond hair was in thick, wet locks, falling down past her shoulders and ending at the middle of her back. She trembled, her eyes resting on the abrasion on her cheek and the red bite marks Edwin left on her neck, standing out in stark contrast to her pale skin. Elsa tightly clasped her lips together, biting at her bottom lip nervously as her eyes went lower to her shoulders and chest. There were red circular marks there as well. She hated what she saw in the mirror.

Terrified, Elsa turned away and tightly closed her eyes shut.

 _"Please stop!"_

She shook, clapping her hands over her ears again. She heard her own voice again, mixed in with Edwin's.

 _"Good, you're actually going to be vocal."_

Elsa clutched the towel tightly to her body, feeling vulnerable and unsafe, even in the safety of her own room. Shaking, she tried to get rid of the memories that plagued her mind. She hated it all - so much.

She brushed her hair, drying it off with a towel again, and then slipping into her sleepwear. Elsa went back into the bathroom to blow dry her hair. Normally she would leave it be, liking the cold sensation her wet hair provided her, but tonight - she disliked the cold.

A lot.

She wanted nothing else, but warmth.

Allowing the dryer to dry her blond hair completely, Elsa gently combed her fingers through the soft locks several times over. Sighing, she exited the bathroom, her head filled with thoughts and frightening memories. She was unsure if she could even fall asleep again. Somberly, Elsa paced her room slowly, feeling restless now. Although her body ached and her eyes felt heavy with sleep, she did not feel tired, nor did she want to fall asleep.

On a whim, Elsa went over to the door and placed her hand on the doorknob.

She had remembered that Jack wanted to take her back to her room, but she left him at the entrance hall with Wendy and Anna. It seemed as though they both had something to say to him, so she left it at that and came up to her room on her own. Now, she was curious on Jack's whereabouts - whether he was still talking with those two or if he had retired to his room for the night. She knew that he must be extremely exhausted as well.

Elsa let out a soft sigh and opened up the door slowly, peering out timidly - feeling a slight paranoia from a false sense of danger. She stepped out, catching a figure to her left, sitting on the floor. Startled, Elsa drew in a sharp gasp, relaxing immediately when she saw that it was only Jack.

"Jack...?" she asked softly, kneeling down and seeing that he was asleep. Elsa questioned on how anyone could fall asleep in an upright sitting position on hardwood floors on a cold winter night. It looked uncomfortable, but looking at his sleeping expression, he looked rather peaceful. She studied his face, never really being able to take in this sight of him sleeping since he was never caught falling asleep on the job - of course - and because he slept in a different bedroom than Elsa.

Before Elsa could make any definite observations, Jack stirred, as if he could feel her gaze upon him, and woke up.

He made a little sound - a soft groan - as he blinked away the sleep from his eyes. "...Elsa?" he whispered, sleepily, sitting himself up straight.

"What are you doing out here?" she asked, helping him up.

"I was waiting for you to get out of the shower." He smiled a little, stretching a little, before wincing from the pain emanating from the gunshot wound on his shoulder. "Ah," he breathed out, holding his injury. "Forgot about that..." he said sheepishly.

Elsa normally would have let out a soft giggle at his playful behavior, but she knew that she could not laugh - not when the injury was indirectly caused by her, along with a multitude of other things. Instead, she dropped her gaze, looking guilt-ridden and apologetic at the same time.

Jack picked up on the atmosphere around her and his smile dimmed, disappearing completely as the silence between them grew. He stared down at her with a woeful look in his dark blue eyes.

"Can we...talk?" Elsa asked softly, holding her arm. She shyly looked up at him and Jack simply gave a nod of his head. Biting her bottom lip slightly, she led him into her room.

Once the two of them were inside and Jack gently shut the door behind them, he stood there patiently as he watched Elsa seemingly fight with herself internally on what to say to him. He could sense her unrest just from her body language.

Elsa swallowed the lump in her throat and nervously wrung her hands. She took a deep breath, looking as though she was about to say something, but released it with a heavy sigh. Seeing her struggle, Jack opened up the conversation first.

"Back there in the warehouse," he began, "before the police came in...you were about to say something to me."

"T-That..." Elsa pursed her lips together, then released. "I just wanted to ask you - why you came to save me."

"...What kind of question is that?" Jack asked incredulously, his confused facial expression saying it all. "How is that even a question?" he asked faintly. "You thought - I wouldn't come?"

"I - I thought you were angry with me. I've said so many heartless, rude things to you Jack. I thought -"

"You really think I'd risk your life just because I'm "angry" with you?"

"If it was anyone else, I know you'd go to them in a heartbeat. But - what Edwin said about me was right. I'm nothing, but a spoiled, self-centered, pathetic little girl." Elsa walked over to the window in her room, looking out at the brightly shining cityscape of downtown Arendelle in the distance. "And I've done nothing, but hurt you in the worst ways possible."

Jack stood there, intently listening to her. He found himself unable to say anything because she was true on one part - he did get hurt immensely because of her. He looked off to the side for a while, unsure of what to say next.

Elsa sensed his uncertainty. She glanced at him and muttered, "I understand...that you were just doing your job, Jack. You're still bound by the contract you made with my father. If it were any other case - I wouldn't have expected any sort of rescue..." Elsa lowered her blue eyes to her hands in her lap. She played with her fingertips gently, tugging and pulling as a nervous habit. "I don't deserve your kindness, Jack," she finally whispered out. "At some point during the entire thing...I began to think that I was being punished. That I deserved it for doing something so...horrible to you."

He remained silent.

She closed her eyes at the silence. "I understand if you're still angry with me. All I've done for you is bring you pain and expected you to forgive me without a second thou-!"

Jack stepped forward, taking her into his arms. Elsa widened her eyes in shock at the unexpected act of affection.

"...Didn't I tell you before?"

"H-Huh - ?"

"I live to see you smile. I don't mind getting hurt by you. You can hurt me as much as you want, Elsa, if it means you can be happy - "

"But I'm not happy hurting you!" She pushed herself out of Jack's embrace. Elsa cried out, "how can you say something like that so easily!? I'm exactly the rotten woman Edwin described me as - spoiled, self-centered, cold, pathetic..." She wept, holding her head as she stumbled over to her bed. She fell upon it, sitting on the edge as she cried. "I'm nothing, but a coward that couldn't even face you because I was scared of being hurt! Even in the end, I was still thinking about myself only - "

"What's wrong with that?"

"What?" she breathed out, raising her head to look at him.

Jack stared at her tear-soaked face somberly and he muttered, "it's okay to be selfish once in a while. You need to love yourself before you can love someone else...I realized that recently." He let out a wry chuckle as he took a seat beside her on the bed. "Acting selflessly in order to not hurt others is also a burden, because you end up hurting yourself in the process."

"Jack..."

"Like you said - even in the end, I'm still acting on my own feelings and thoughts...saying things like 'it's okay to hurt me' even when you don't want to. Even though it's selfless, it ultimately ends up being selfish in the end." He looked over to her and gave a little lopsided smile. "I guess that makes me rotten too, huh?"

Elsa sniffled and wiped away her tears with the back of her hand. "You're anything, but rotten. Stupid -" she mumbled.

"Same for you too."

She furrowed her brow.

"I mean it. I'm not saying it just because I'm trying to comfort you. You heard me back in that warehouse...I wouldn't say all that with a gun pointed at me for just anyone."

Elsa thought her heart was going to burst. He always did this - saying these kind words that made her feel better. She felt undeserving of them. "...I haven't reciprocated your feelings, Jack...and you can still say those kind of things to me."

"It doesn't matter," he replied. He drew out a heavy sigh. "I struggled with what I felt for you, for all these years...I wasn't sure what I felt. I thought my feelings for you was just a bodyguard's admiration for his client at best, but...then I slowly found out that wasn't it at all."

"...?"

"I got so angry when I saw Edwin doing those things to you. I wanted to kill him honestly - if I didn't restrain myself, I probably would have - I could have...I had the chance to just plunge the knife into his head. But I didn't, because I knew that you would see me in such a irrational state. I don't want you to see that - ever."

"Jack..."

He sighed as he laced and unlaced his fingers together. "What he said about me back there was also the truth. A normal bodyguard wouldn't get that riled up in a situation like that."

"A _normal_...bodyguard - ?"

With an unwavering gaze, he rested his eyes on her and whispered, "Elsa...I've been waiting all these years for you to notice my feelings for you because I was too hesitant to make the first move, so...even with what I'm about to say - please don't feel like I'm pushing you because I can wait a little while longer."

Elsa felt her heart speed up in anticipation. "J-Jack, what - ?"

"I love you."

She felt a warm heat spread out over her cheeks at the words. Elsa shyly looked away, unsure of what to say to him or how to react. "I- uhm -"

"You don't have to give me your answer right away. I can wait." Jack smiled at her ardently. "I know you must have a lot on your mind right now and I know that you're confused about your feelings, so...it's okay if you give me your answer a week from now, a month, or even a few years."

"But -!" Elsa bit back her tongue. "W-Won't I hurt you even more? Making you wait - !"

"As long as you give me an answer...I won't be hurt. Even if that answer is a no, I'll still love you."

She sat there staring at him, seeing her vision blur from the threat of tears. "How can you...say that?"

Jack dryly chuckled, his smile - reflective. "I wonder - maybe it's because...even the thought of being able to remain by your side is enough for me, bodyguard or not."

She trembled as Jack gently took her hand and brought it to his mouth. He placed a delicate kiss upon her knuckles and ran his thumb over her fingers.

"Even if I wasn't your bodyguard...and had we met under different circumstances...I would have still came for you tonight. So don't think things like that, okay?" Jack's sighed softly as he pulled Elsa in for a gentle hug. In a hushed whisper, "you didn't deserve anything that happened to you tonight. So don't _ever_ think that you deserve such horrible treatment. My only regret is that I couldn't get to you faster."

A shiver out of happiness ran through her body as he gently ran his fingers gingerly through her hair. Elsa squeezed her eyes shut and let a tear roll down her cheek. She returned his hug, slowly letting her arms reach around so that she could grasp at his shoulders. Elsa let herself sink into his warmth.

It was the warmth that she was looking for.

"Jack...?" she mumbled against his shoulder.

"Hm?"

" _...I'm sorry_."

She heard a soft chuckle from him as he leaned his head against hers.

"I know, Ice Queen."

Elsa did not feel bothered by the nickname anymore. Instead, she let out a soft giggle, sniffling. Her arms around him tightened as she drew in a deep breath, filling her senses with the faint smell of his familiar mint-pine scented cologne. In a muffled murmur, she said to him, "stupid..." A soft stuttering laugh left her throat as she felt tears pool in her eyes again.

* * *

A soft knock.

"Elsa...?" Anna whispered, slowly opening up the door to her sister's bedroom. She peeked her head into the dimly lit room, the only source of light being from a small lamp near Elsa's vanity. As Anna crept closer to Elsa's bed, she stopped in her tracks.

Initially, her face showed shock, but it was immediately replaced with a delicate smile.

"I guess I didn't need to come in to check up on you," she said with a little sigh. "You two could have at least fallen asleep on the pillows or gotten under the covers."

Jack and Elsa had fallen asleep together, horizontally splayed out on her bed. She was curled up against him, her head fitting just perfectly underneath his chin and the crook of his neck. He had his arm laid out over her small frame, just above her waist, in a protective gesture. They both had a content expression on their face, as if they were mutually enjoying each other's company even while sleeping.

Anna sighed at the two again. "Jeez..." She turned around to leave the room quietly. Before she did so, she took one last look back at their sleeping forms silhouetted in the darkness and she gave them a content smile. "Goodnight, Elsa...Jack," she whispered, closing the bedroom door with a soft click.


	10. Camellia

**Marionette **

**Chapter 10 - Camellia**

 _Warnings: None_

* * *

His hands shook and a nervous sweat began to form on his forehead. His brown eyes darted around the small cell in a fearful manner. He felt wronged. He did not belong there.

"Why didn't you arrest the guy that did this to us!? I need to see a doctor - A.S.A.P!" Edwin watched as his friend wearing the letterman jacket yelled as he shook at the bars of the holding cell in the police station.

"You'll live, kid," one of the police officers replied, rolling his stale gray eyes as he went back to typing up their arrest report.

"Don't we all get at least one phone call!?"

The officer sighed tiredly and he got up from his desk. He walked over to the small holding cell and his hawk-like eyes focused in on Edwin, who was sitting on one of the benches, a blank stare in his eyes. "You." He pointed at him and threw his thumb over his shoulder. "Let's go. You can go make your call."

* * *

He felt - unnerved, shaking as he held the phone tightly to his ear. Edwin looked over his shoulder, skittishly glancing at the officer that stood just a few feet behind him. He looked away before the officer and him could lock eyes.

The ringing stopped and finally the person on the other line picked up the phone.

 _"Hello?"_

"I-It's me..."

There was a deafening silence, causing Edwin to swallow uncomfortably out of uneasiness.

 _"...I thought I told you to never call me. I'm out at a family function right now."_

"I-I know, but...it's urgent! I - " Edwin let out a whimpering shudder. " - I got arrested, man." His breath stilled at the next words that reached his ear.

 _"...And?"_

"Wh - ? Y...You gotta bail me out! You can do it, right? Your entire family is made up of lawyers - !"

 _"We don't represent screw-ups and people that can't do their jobs properly."_

Edwin's brown eyes widened in a mad panic. He grasped at the phone tightly until his knuckles turned white. He could not believe that this was how he was going to go down. "My father will kill me if he finds out about this! I'm -! I'm here because of you, asswipe! I did what you wanted me to do and now - !"

A wry chuckle stopped him. _"Really now? I don't recall. It seems like you're the only one that screwed up here, Edwin. You put yourself into this mess because you failed. Had you taken the necessary precautions, none of this would have happened."_

"I did! I did everything right! But unexpected things happened that wasn't a part of the plan - not to mention, that fucking bodyguard Winters had screwed everything up - !"

 _"The only one that screwed up is you. Now - I suggest you stop calling me after this unless you want to get on my bad side even further."_

"But - !"

 _"Your family is wealthy, Edwin. I'm sure you can find a lawyer that can represent you in court - against me and my family's lawfirm."_

Edwin shook out of fear and anger. "You - bastard! You can't do that! What the fuck!? You want to put me away in jail for life!? Why the fuck will be you representing that Winters bitch!?"

 _"You've become nothing, but a hindrance, Edwin. I will have to thank you for being such a good, disposable pawn, however. Good luck with your father - I'm sure that after this little screw-up of yours, he'll feel so sympathetic for his deadbeat son that he'll give you the company instead of your very successful half-sister."_

He felt a vein pulse in his head at the voice that dripped with sarcasm. He was being toyed with. This was all a huge game and he was nothing more than a pawn to a greater power. The very thought caused him to grow volatile inside.

"You son of a bitch - !"

Edwin froze at the sound of a low beep, indicating that he had been hung up on. He slowly pulled the phone away from his ear and let out a short, erratic gasps. He felt trapped and scared - due to his uncertain future as well as the imminent punishment he would receive from his father. A harsh breath left his lungs as he slammed the phone back onto the receiver.

"Hey, kid - your time's up. Let's go."

* * *

Elsa did not know what time it was when she finally woke up. It was bright outside, but the skies were still overcast. She squinted her eyes as she groggily sat herself up on the bed. Rubbing her eyes free of sleep, Elsa turned her head to look out the large, arched window in her room.

It was snowing.

She smiled a little, happy to see the beautiful sight. Elsa focused her attention to the little digital clock that she kept on her nightstand, just to check the time.

The white numbers read out that it was nearly noon. It did not really surprise her that she had overslept, after all, she did have a tiring day and went to sleep late...

She wrinkled her eyebrows a little, looking down at herself and seeing that she had awoken from her pillows with her bed sheets tucked in comfortably around her. A part of her memory from last night came back - of her being held by Jack and falling asleep in his arms. A slow heat moved to her face, her round cheeks igniting in a crimson red blush. She pulled the bedsheets up to her mouth as she buried her nose into the clean teal colored fabric.

She guessed that Jack had woken up at some point during the night or early morning and tucked her in.

Before she could get caught up in her own thoughts, Elsa heard a rapid knock on her door.

"Sis!" Anna sang out in a high pitched, airy voice. Without much regards to her sister's privacy, she opened the door and came in. "Merry Christmas!" she exclaimed cheerfully.

"Christmas...?" Elsa contemplatively looked at her digital clock and saw the date 'December 25th' on the screen. She was completely unaware that the big holiday of the season was even today. She had been so caught up in other things the past few days that the thought that it was Christmas did not even cross her mind. "Wow," she breathed out, holding her head, "I didn't even know," telling Anna about this.

"That's probably why you overslept. Remember how when we were kids, you and I would always get up before Mama and Papa?"

"Right," Elsa responded, laughing softly at the fond memory. "We'd beg them if we could start opening our presents." She smiled and took a look at her sister, noticing that she had her hair done so that it as in a loose wave. Her dark green skirt, that was decorated with a large white bow on the side, ruffled whenever she walked and the black sweater she wore hugged her curves nicely. She seemed to idly adjust the white beanie on her head as Elsa looked her up and down. "Uhm...are you going somewhere, Anna?" she asked.

"A-Ah, I'm just going out with some friends!" Anna sheepishly giggled. She spun once over, her orange colored hair flying out behind her. "It looks cute, right?" she asked, in reference to her outfit.

It was clear to Elsa that her little sister was going on a date - most likely with Hans again. She had been meaning to speak to Anna about him, but she was almost at the point of just giving up and truthfully, Elsa did not feel like pursuing it any longer. She was tired of fighting with everyone.

"It does," Elsa replied, smiling as she chose to just overlook Anna's lie. She assumed that when the time was right, Anna would come clean to her on her own free will.

Anna giggled happily in response. She approached Elsa's bedside and asked, "are you planning anything today?"

"Well...- "

Seeing Elsa's befallen expression, Anna quickly added in, "I'm sorry...I know we normally spend Christmas together..." She started to feel a little guilty for not canceling her date with Hans after the events from yesterday. It slipped her mind. "I just...scheduled something too because Edwin asked you out on a Christmas date and I didn't want to be home alone, but then...the stuff last night happened and - "

"It's fine, Anna." Elsa gave her a warm smile and took her sister's hand. She stopped her, not really wanting to remember what happened last night with the brunette. "I don't mind being home. I'm feeling a little tired anyways. You go have your fun with your friends. Don't worry about me."

Furrowing her brows in discontent, Anna released her hand from Elsa's grasp and shot up from the bed, startling Elsa. "It's not okay!" she insisted.

"It's really fine -"

"No!" Anna was behaving like a little child having a tantrum. She pouted her lips and tightly clenched her fists. "Christmas should be spent with other people, Elsa!"

Feeling slightly, overwhelmed with her sister's pushiness, Elsa said nothing to her. She simply stared on curiously.

"I got it!" Anna gasped, clapping her hands together. "You should spend today with Jack!"

"J-Jack?" she asked incredulously.

"Mhm!" Anna wore a wide, toothy grin on her face as she excitedly hopped up and down, her long brown boots clacking on the hardwood floors. "There's going to be a huge tree lighting in downtown Arendelle tonight at midnight, plus, a lot of the restaurants in the area are doing special events because it's Christmas! It'll be fun if you go with him!"

Elsa felt her face heat up at the very thought. "I-I don't know...this sounds like something a couple would do," she stuttered back, looking away.

"You do!" Again, Anna insisted, pushing Elsa to go out with him. "It's sad for an 18-year-old girl, like yourself, to be stuck home on Christmas day! Come on!" She threw off the sheets from Elsa's body. "I'll help you get dressed!"

"I-I didn't even ask him yet! And I can get dressed by myself!"

"Pfft, please," Anna waved her hand, "god forbid, you go out dressed like a nun for this date."

"I don't dress like a nun! And it isn't a date!"

"Whatever - nun, old lady, same thing."

"They're not the same thing, Anna - !" Elsa stood there, annoyed, as Anna threw open her closet doors. She noticed the discontent expression on Anna's face as she looked through her clothes. "Is there something wrong?" she asked in an irate tone.

Anna quirked her lip up to one side as she went through her sister's wardrobe. "Uh, do you have any other clothes?"

"No, what's in my closet is what I have," she replied, pointedly.

"Hmm." Anna let out a dejected sigh. "As expected of my big sis - you're definitely ready to become a future CEO with clothes like these." She turned around to face Elsa again, who was giving her a perturbed glare. "It's okay. I'll lend you some of my clothes!"

Elsa crossed her arms over her chest and explained in an exasperated sigh, "Anna, I don't know how to tell you this, but I'm _not_ going to go out today. I'm sure Jack would like to rest as well."

"Well...did you ask him?"

"Of course not, I just woke up -"

"Want me to ask for you?"

"Sure. I mean - what? No, I - !"

"Alright, I'll go ask him!"

"Anna - !"

Before Elsa could stop her, Anna had already happily skipped out of the room. She stood there, deadpanned at what just happened. Wearing an expression of panic now, Elsa grumbled angrily under her breath as she located her bathrobe and hastily threw it on, making herself decent.

She ran out of her room and looked down the hallway, locating Anna, who was knocking on the door to Jack's room.

"Anna!" Elsa called out, running towards her in a vain attempt to try and stop her.

"Jaaaaaack!" Anna sang. "Elsa wants to ask you something!" She knocked several times and by the time Elsa reached her, there was still no response.

"Anna!" The blond panted as she desperately tried to tug her sister away from the door. "Come on! I already told you that I don't want to go out!"

Ignoring her, Anna curiously blinked at the door and slowly moved towards the doorknob. "Jack? Are you in there?" She twisted it, pushing open the door gently.

Elsa protested beside her. "You can't go barging into people's rooms, Anna! How many times do I have to tell you this!?"

Again, letting her sister's words fall on deaf ears, Anna ignored her and peered into Jack's room. "Huh...he's not here."

"What?"

"He's not here - in his room," Anna repeated, closing the door once more. She pouted a little. "Maybe he already got up."

Elsa let out a soft sigh of relief. Now maybe Anna would cease this ridiculous plot to try and set her up with Jack. "Whatever. I'm going back to bed." She was still too tired to deal with everything. Although, Elsa was not sure if she was feeling physically drained or emotionally drained. Either way - she was tired.

"I wonder where he went," Anna muttered as she followed Elsa back to her room.

"Why do you care so much?"

"You two deserve a day to just relax together! I mean, after what happened last night -" Anna bit back her tongue when she noticed how Elsa had stopped walking and was stiff as a board. "I-I mean...I'm sorry. I didn't mean to bring it up - "

"It's fine," Elsa breathed out heavily. She hugged herself tightly, starting to see the flashbacks from last night slowly play through her mind like a horror movie she did not wish to see. "Sorry, Anna. I'm tired...I just want to go lie down -"

"Wait." Anna reached out to grab Elsa's hand, stopping her. She worriedly looked at her sister. "I-I'm sorry that I sounded so pushy earlier...I just, think it would be good of you to just take the time to hang out with Jack. Just the two of you. I'm _not_ trying to set you up with him - I still remember what you told me a long time ago, about how you don't want a boyfriend anytime soon, so don't worry." Anna laughed a little at the memory. Her laughter died down a little as she stepped closer to peer around Elsa's shoulder to get a look at her face. She smiled warmly and said, "I know that he's the only one you trust with all your heart. There's most likely things that you tell him and not me, and that's fine - don't get me wrong. I understand that...there's just something special about the bond between you two. That's why I want you two to go out for today. Just to get away from everything, you know?"

Elsa lowered her blue eyes to the floor and she sighed. She could not help, but agree with what Anna said. A part of her did want to get out of the house for a while. "Fine," she eventually replied softly.

Anna smiled broadly at the answer. "I'll go find him then, lend you some of my clothes to wear - !"

"But - !" Elsa shot her a deathly glare. "Don't you _dare_ say that this is a 'date' or mention to him that this is one. And don't you dare go overboard with the clothes. I'm only doing this because you're insisting so much."

Feeling a chill go down her spine, Anna sheepishly giggled and backed away a little. "Y-Yes, ma'am." When her sister gets scary, she could get _scary._

* * *

"Oh Jack! Thank you so much! I hate to hassle you for things - especially today since your shoulder's still injured..."

"It's fine, Wendy," Jack smiled warmly in response as he set the groceries down on the kitchen counter.

"You didn't have too much trouble finding these? I know a lot of the markets are closed due to it being Christmas," Wendy worriedly said as she pulled out the milk cartons from the paper bags, as well as a tub of margarine.

"A few convenience stores are still open," he replied, "the margarine was a little harder to find, but a small market near the Southern Isles was open and carrying some."

"You drove all the way there!?" the elderly maid exclaimed.

Sensing that Wendy was about to apologize, Jack quickly waved his hand and laughed nervously. "It's fine. I don't mind. What is all this for, by the way?" he asked, watching Wendy handing off some of the milk cartons to the other maids, who were bustling around quickly in the large kitchen.

"Oh! The mistress made a generous donation to a local orphanage and in addition to money, I also offered to bake a few cakes for the children since it _is_ Christmas after all. I hope they'll like them."

Jack chuckled, knowing how much Wendy loved to bake. She would almost never pass up an opportunity to debut a new cake or pie for Elsa, Anna, and him to try. "If it's your vanilla shortcake, I think they'd like it just fine."

Wendy chortled softly. "I just hope these cakes will be done by 5. Simon and I are planning to take them in the evening."

"How many are you making?"

"About 20."

Jack whistled a little at the number. "Well...I'll leave you to it then," he gave Wendy a wave as he exited the hustle and bustle of the busy kitchen. As he did, he wondered if Elsa was finally up. When he had woken up in the early morning hours, he saw that she was still fast asleep - and that he had fallen asleep with her on her bed.

It was the first time anything like that happened and it felt foreign to him, to wake up with someone sleeping next to him, but he certainly did not dislike it. Especially when he could see Elsa's sleeping expression, which was a rare sight.

Jack let out a soft laugh to himself at the memory of him picking her up so that she could lay her head down upon the pillows and as soon as he picked her up in his arms, she had let out a loud snore. Completely unlady-like and scared him at the time, but now -

His soft laugh grew into an uncontrollable snicker as he tried hard to suppress himself.

"Nice to see that you're enjoying yourself."

His laughter died down at the sound of Anna's voice. He saw her coming down the double staircase happily, a slight bounce in her steps. "O-Oh, Anna," he stuttered, clearing his throat to try and rid himself of laughter.

"What were you laughing about so much?" she asked curiously.

"N-Nothing."

Anna narrowed her blue eyes at him, but paid no extra attention to whatever it is that made him laugh. She had more important matters at hand - like asking Jack to escort her sister out on a pseudo-date. "Well, you're looking rather energetic."

"Uh - I guess - ?"

"So you wouldn't have a problem taking Elsa out, right?"

"Huh?" Jack blinked at her for a few seconds, then made a confused face. "What do you mean?"

Exasperatedly, Anna sighed and said, "alright, Elsa told me to not tell you, that it's a date, but it's pretty much a date."

"...Excuse me...?"

"Go out on a date with Elsa. Today. For Christmas."

Jack wrinkled his brow, narrowed his eyes, and cocked his head slightly towards the side. The only thing that could come out of his mouth at this point was, "what?"

Anna rolled her eyes and muttered under her breath, "it's incredible on how dense you two are."

"Hey - !"

"Just go out with her! Elsa already agreed to and she's getting ready right now."

Rendered speechless, Jack could only form unintelligent vocalizations as he fought to try and say something, but he was confused out of his mind as to what was going on. What was this about a 'date'?

"You should probably get changed too," Anna commented, looking Jack up and down at his attire. "Suits are nice at all, but she should see you in something different for today. She doesn't want to see you dressed like a dad for a date."

Although Jack did not like wearing his suits either, he could not help, but feel slightly insulted and self-conscious by what Anna said. He thought he looked pretty decent in one.

"Are you going to tell me what this is about?" he asked as Anna happily skipped upstairs once again.

"Nope!" she responded with a toothy grin, much to Jack's chagrin. "You better get changed! Time's a-wasting!"

* * *

"You look fine, sis!"

"This is - !" Elsa looked at herself in the mirror as she desperately tried to pull down the skirt. "This is way too short!" she exclaimed, a tomato red blush on her face.

"That's the third skirt I've given you though," Anna replied with a slight pout. "And you're wearing leggings underneath, you'll be fine!"

"Why do you only have short skirts!?"

"That's kind of the point of a skirt," the red head snickered. "You look fine! It looks super cute! See?" She pointed to the mirror and Elsa stared back at her reflection again.

She did have to admit, the outfit that Anna had coordinated for her with her clothes looked fashionable and cute. Anna managed to fit into Elsa's usual color scheme for her clothes, which was teal and white. The leggings were a muted teal color, matching the knit top. The ruffled and lacy white skirt barely covered what it needed to, but _at least_ she was wearing the leggings. Luckily, a white double-breasted trench coat that Elsa had passed Anna's inspection and she was given the 'okay' to wear that over herself.

Anna fawned over her, gushing about how well her outfit coordination went. "I outdid myself once again!" she triumphantly stated, "It looks so cute, along with those white fuzzy boots." She let out a slight squeal. "It's probably a good thing that I decided on those leggings. If you didn't, I'm sure Jack would be ogling you too much to focus properly on the date. Although showing off a little skin isn't a bad thing -"

"What!?" Elsa exclaimed, her face a bright red.

"Oh! I mean - your "not a date" outing," Anna used air-quotes as she poke, causing Elsa to shoot her a nasty glare. There were so many things wrong with what Anna said that Elsa did not bother to point out the other things that made her flustered with embarrassment.

"You better not have told Jack that it was a date."

"I didn't! Promise."

Elsa let out a sharp sigh to try and calm herself down. "Ah, whatever," she muttered. It was just another outing. She and Jack had plenty in the past. He would take her places to cheer her up whenever she was down, this time it was exactly the same.

 _'That's right, so calm down Elsa. Deep breaths...'_

"Oh! My ride's here!" Anna exclaimed, checking her phone. She grinned as she grabbed her purse from Elsa's bed and rushed out. "I demand details later tonight, okay?" she said sternly.

"Wh-What details? Details about _what_ exactly!?"

"See you, sis! Have fun!" Anna called out, disappearing down the hallway.

Elsa stood there in disbelief that this was actually happening. She let out a defeated sigh and closed her eyes. Silently telling herself to relax, Elsa reopened her eyes and took one last look at herself in the mirror. Her makeup was crisp and clean, not a single item was "off." Her hair was in a thick braid, her usual hairstyle ever since Jack took it upon himself to give her a "makeover."

She smiled at herself in the mirror, trying to build up confidence, but her smile immediately fell when she saw the telltale red spots left on her neck from the previous night.

An involuntary shiver went through her body as Elsa tried to force herself to not bring up such memories at the current time. Trembling, Elsa went over to her closet and pulled out a thick, fluffy white scarf. She quickly wrapped it around her neck, covering the bite marks. Elsa did not want to see them and she surely did not want Jack to see them either - especially not while they were out together.

* * *

Jack idly checked his phone, waiting at the base of the double staircase for Elsa. He let out a sigh, burying his hand into the pocket of his dark brown distressed jeans. Briefly looking up, he checked himself in one of the intricately framed mirrors that was hanging in the entrance hall.

Nervously, Jack shoved his phone into the back pocket of his pants and tugged on his bottom lip as he fixed his hair. He normally did not care how messy it looked, but now he was self-conscious about it, presumably because of how Anna said it was a date between him and Elsa. He knew that on regular days, Elsa did not care for how his hair looked, but he knew that she liked things orderly and neat - and his hair was anything, but orderly and neat.

Seeing as how the stubborn spike of white hair was refusing to be flattened down, Jack gave on it with a tired sigh. He took to inspecting his clothes, hoping that he made the right choice. Although his casual wardrobe was rather limited since he was pretty much a bodyguard, 24 hours of a day, 7 days a week, Jack managed to find a blue padded winter vest and he chose to wear that over a royal blue long sleeve shirt that came down slightly past his wrists. All in all, he thought it was a decent outfit for a date.

As he focused back on his messy hairstyle, Jack flinched when Anna practically flew down the stairs in front of him.

"See you, Jack! Elsa should be down in a few minutes!" she exclaimed, rushing out the door.

"Wait a minute! Where are you going?" he called out after her. It was all moving too fast for him. He was not ready to face Elsa yet and he had hoped that Anna would be there to provide some type of guide for when he meets with Elsa.

"I have places to be too, you know! Have fun! Great job on the outfit, by the way!"

With the slam of the front door, Jack was left alone in the entrance hall once again. He shook his head, sighing and wondering how he got roped into all this.

It was not long before -

"Jack?"

He looked up at the top of the stairs and saw Elsa shyly coming down to meet him. Jack felt his mouth dry up at the sight of her. She looked like a snow angel, with all the white clothes she wore. Not to mention, her pale skin was softly colored with a bashful pink blush and her platinum blond hair looked luxuriously beautiful and silky.

"U-Uh," he could only stammer out, unsure of what to say to her as she approached him.

She smiled a little at him,

Jack blushed a little, wishing that he could form coherent words and _not_ look like some love-struck teenager out on his first date, but then Jack remembered that it really is his first date and he immediately grew hotter in the face at the thought. "Wh-Where did you want to go?"

"Uh, well, Anna told me that there's stuff in downtown Arendelle. We could start there."

"S...Sure!"

As Elsa quietly followed him out of the house, she watched his nervous actions. It was not his usual behavior and definitely not the Jack that she saw last night in that warehouse. It was hard to believe that he could make such a menacing, bloodthirsty look, but also such a flustered look such as the one she was witnessing now.

With some amount of difficulty and many times of dropping his car keys, Jack managed to unlock his car. As they slipped inside, Jack dropped the key once more, eliciting a soft giggle from Elsa.

She quickly covered her mouth with her hand, knowing that laughing right now would make her seem like a bad person, but she could not help it. It was reassuring to know that it was not only her that was feeling so nervous.

"S-Sorry," she said, giggling still. Elsa stifled her laughter and reached out to gently touch Jack's hand. "I'm nervous too, don't worry."

He instantly relaxed. Elsa was also nervous, despite the fact that she had already been out on a date with Edwin. He chuckled in unison with Elsa's light giggles as he started the car. His hands no longer shook and he felt the butterflies in his stomach disappear. It was just reassuring to know that Elsa was feeling the same as him.

* * *

He could not really believe that the first place that Elsa felt drawn to go to was a toy store. He had no idea that she still had an affinity for childish things, with her being so composed and stoic nowadays. However, despite all that, it seemed as though Elsa felt comfort in the whimsical little shop as she happily sought out their collection of plush dolls.

Jack watched her as she smiled while picking up a polar bear doll and he could not help, but smile himself. She seemed to be immersed in the cute dolls, occasionally showing them to Jack, then quickly turning her attention back towards them.

"Look, Jack!" she exclaimed, clearly excited in one particular polar bear doll. Her blue eyes lit up as she spoke to him. It was a rare sight - to see her so happy. "It's cute, isn't it?"

"It looks a lot like your Olaf doll, only...bigger," he commented, silently thinking to himself what Elsa's obsession was with polar bears. She always did seem to have a fondness towards animals that lived in the Arctic though. "Are you going to finally replace it?"

Elsa widened her eyes and vigorously shook her head. "No way!" Even though the little doll had gotten dirty and torn over the past few years ever since Jack "took it" from her, she could never get herself to throw it away. It reminded her of the time that Jack had taken her out to the university and it was probably one of the first times that he had showed her such sweet affection. She was never going to get rid of the current Olaf bear plush.

"Your room's going to be overrun by these bears soon."

Elsa pouted. "You say it like it's a bad thing." She held the doll close to her chest, resting her chin on top of its fuzzy white head. The corners of her lips quirked up into a little smile as she reached up to grab another doll. She held it out to him and asked, "see? It's cute! You can't deny that, right?"

Jack took the soft polar bear into his arms and inspected it. He did have to admit, it was cute. As he stood there with Elsa, who seemed to be tempted to purchase a penguin doll as well, he nearly tripped over a small child- make that several. He quickly apologized to them, interrupting their game of tag. Jack had momentarily forgotten that this was a toy store and that there were little children running around all over the place. The only adults there were the children's parents and of course - them.

"Hey, Mister!" a little girl stopped in front of them, addressing Jack as she stared at him. "Why is your hair white?"

Elsa felt a little overwhelmed when several more kids began crowding around them, curious as well. She was not very good with children, even though she did like them. It was because she was always at a loss for words, unable to answer them without sounding impassive or too serious. They always either seemed to ignore her or get put off by her manner of speaking - which sounded dull to them. Jack on the other hand -

He smiled, kneeling down so that he was eye-level with the young girl. "Do you know who Jack Frost is?" When the girl nodded, she provided him with a brief explanation on the mythical winter spirit, that was when Jack pointed at himself. "That's me, but keep it a secret okay? No one else can know!" He held his finger to his lips in a silent gesture.

"Eh? Really?" The girl's brown eyes seemed to lit up with wonder, as did the other children's. It seemed like nonsense to Elsa, but she watched intently - seeing him conversing with the children as if it was second nature for him.

"Then - then - " A little boy hopped up and down. "Why are you here?"

"I'm here to protect the Ice Queen while she's visiting Arendelle." Jack turned to look up at Elsa, who immediately blushed.

"Wha-What - ?" She flushed even more when he took her hand and gave it a slight tug, telling her to come kneel down as well. Elsa did as she was told and nervously knelt down beside Jack. She felt all the eyes of the children on her and she felt anxious, not sure if she should say anything to them.

Several of the girls excitedly clapped their hands together. "Are you her knight in shining armor then?"

Elsa was taken aback by how blunt these children were, but Jack seemed to take it all in stride, not missing a beat when replying.

"Yep, but, this queen can do just fine with or without her knight. She's _very_ strong. Her ice magic can freeze the bad guys before they can even get a chance to run away!"

"Ooooh!"

"The Ice Queen sounds scary..." a little voice pipped up among the small group of children.

Elsa felt her heart drop a little at the frightened toddler who was eyeing her warily. She looked away, unsure of what to say to her.

"A little bit, but...when you get to know her, she actually has a warm heart."

Elsa stared at Jack, who flashed her a soft smile. She did not expect him to intervene with such heartfelt words. "Jack..."

"She is very kind and compassionate. Loving and caring, deep down inside," he continued, keeping his eyes on her the whole time.

She thought her heart was going to melt at his words. It was endearing for him to say such generous things to her and to defend her "character" in front of these children.

"Do you love her, Jack?" The girl with brown eyes spoke up, excitedly flickering her eyes between him and Elsa.

He chuckled as he faced the young girl. "I do."

Elsa felt flustered at what Jack said. Even though she knew that he said it just to satisfy the little girl's imagination...

"Do you like him too?" the little girl asked Elsa, her eyes wide as saucers as she anticipated her answer.

The blond avoided Jack's eyes as she nervously searched for an answer. "I-I, uh, p-possibly -!"

Before the children could ask anything else, some of their parents called them over. Very soon, the small crowd of children had dispersed, much to Elsa's relief.

"I'm sorry if my little Olivia was bothering you two," the mother of the girl that started talking to Jack and Elsa said as she rushed over, picking up her 5-year-old in her arms.

Both Jack and Elsa stood up. "It's fine," he answered, smiling. "Not a bother at all."

"Mommy! Can I go see the train set again?" the girl named Olivia asked happily.

"Of course, sweetie." She let the young girl go off as she stayed there with Jack and Elsa. Curiously, she glanced at the couple and asked, "are you two shopping for your baby?"

Immediately, both Jack and Elsa's face turned a bright red. The two of them quickly denied it in a series of nervous stammers and unintelligent mumbling.

"O-Oh! I'm so sorry!" the mother replied, holding a hand over her mouth. "I just assumed so because you two look like you're newlyweds."

"Ah, n-no. We're not married!" Elsa quickly denied.

"Oh I see. You two just seemed so at ease with each other since you came into the store." She laughed a little when she noticed both Jack and Elsa blushing again. "So you two are just out on a date?"

Elsa felt at a loss of what to say. She did not want to necessarily admit that it was a date, although that's how it plainly looked like, but she and Jack were not exactly "dating." So would this be called a date? She certainly did not want to say to the young mother that Jack was her bodyguard. It would only serve to confuse her even more.

"We are," Jack said, wrapping his arm around Elsa's shoulders.

She stared up at him, her crystal blue eyes wide in embarrassment.

The young mother giggled, her hand over her mouth. "Well, then. I'll leave you two be. I think I've bothered you enough."

Jack laughed in response. "No, no, it was a pleasure."

They both waved the mother off as she went over to her daughter, who was mesmerized by the toy train set. As soon as she left, Jack set the polar bear doll he had in his arms back on the shelf and asked Elsa, "did you still want that?" in reference to the doll in Elsa's arms.

Without waiting for her answer, Jack plucked the doll from her hands and walked over to the register. She followed him right on his heels. "You don't have to buy it for me! I have money too, you know!"

"I know you do," he answered in a sarcastic tone, making Elsa give him an annoyed glare in response. Jack laughed at her as he paid for the doll. "But...I never had the time to get you a Christmas present."

"Huh?"

He thanked the cashier and smiled as he handed Elsa the paper shopping bag that held the polar bear doll. "Here," he said, "I know it's a little last minute, but - Merry Christmas, Elsa."

She flushed a deep red as she took the bag from him shyly. Elsa mumbled a small 'thank you', keeping her head down so that Jack would not be able to see her tomato red face. She heard him chuckle, then she felt movement near her hand. Her eyes widened when she felt him lace their fingers together. Elsa snapped her head up to look at him and all he did was smile in response, making her weak in the knees.

"Where to now?" he asked, leading her out of the toy store.

Elsa muttered a soft 'I don't know' as she walked beside him, keeping her head turned away from him, in fear of him noticing her blush. It was as if she was the only one that was flustered now. He seemed to be at a total ease, just his normal self.

"How about something light to eat? A cafe? It's still a little bit early for dinner."

She only offered up a soft grunt in response, unable to say anything to him without sounding like an idiot. Elsa hated how just holding hands with him was enough to reduce her to a pile of mush.

He took her to a nearby cafe, where they were apparently partaking in a Christmas themed event where all the desserts and drinks they sold were themed as the festive holiday. They were seated immediately and Elsa sighed as Jack finally let go of her hand as they took their seat at a small table by the window. She relaxed a little bit, but that was quickly interrupted by an apologetic waitress that told them that seat was given to them by mistake, as it was already taken by a reservation.

Much to Elsa's displeasure, they were moved to a round table booth - where she was forced to sit right next to Jack. She thought to herself that a higher being must be testing her right now, threatening to embarrass her to the very core.

"Not sure why she apologized for moving us. These seats are way more comfortable," Jack commented as he happily looked over the menu.

She felt him move in close as she quickly drew back in surprise. "Wh-What - ?"

"What did you want?" he asked, his focus on the menu.

Elsa told herself to calm down. It was not like Jack had any ill intentions to seduce her or flirt with her. All of his actions so far were just innocent little gestures and there she was getting all flustered over it all.

"U-Uhm..." she glanced over the menu, her heart thumping wildly as her arm touched his. "The special "Xmas Sundae" sounds interesting!" she offered up, trying to mask the fact that she was a nervous wreck by trying to act chipper.

"There's a below freezing windchill outside and you want ice cream? Such a trooper, Ice Queen," he teased, snickering.

"Shut up!" she snapped out, embarrassed. "I know you like eating ice cream when it's cold too!"

Jack simply chuckled as he flagged down a waiter and put in their orders, along with a cup of basic coffee for both of them. As the waiter left, taking their menus, Elsa nervous fidgeted next to him, sensing an awkward silence was about to come if she did not say anything now.

"Y-You acted so naturally with those kids back in the toy store!"

"Oh, yeah...I guess so," Jack replied, taken a little bit off-guard by her suddenly bringing that up. However, he went with it, seeing as how he had no other topics to really talk about. "I had to take care of some of the younger babies back at the orphanage, just to help out our caretakers a little whenever things got busy. Although they didn't talk back whenever I talked to them, I guess it gave me some confidence with little kids. Plus...before I got assigned to protect you, I hung out a lot with Jaime - remember him?"

"Your childhood friend?"

"Well - "

The waiter came back with their coffee, setting it down on the table and telling them that their sundae would be out shortly.

Jack gently touched his hot mug and smiled fondly into the light brown liquid. "I guess you could say that he was more like a little brother to me. We'd go everywhere together whenever I wasn't stuck with Guardian training. His parents were nice enough to take me along to the places their family went. It was nice..."

Sensing a bit of sadness in Jack's voice, Elsa furrowed her brow and asked, "...did...something happen between you two? I-I mean...if you being assigned to protect me disrupted your relationship with him, I'm so sorry -"

"No, no. It's not that at all, don't worry," he gave her a small smile. It immediately fell as he muttered, "it's just...I knew his parents were having trouble. I was a little bit older than Jaime so, I guess I picked up on it faster than he or his little sister could, but you could tell things weren't great between them. Then one day...Jaime just left."

"What?"

"They moved away or something. I never really knew what happened to him, but one day he was there and the next day, no one answered the door to his apartment. His whole family just...vanished into thin air."

Elsa could tell that this was a part of his life that he did not like to talk about. He looked rather heartbroken and she knew that it was painful to talk about. It was like a close loved one just walking out of your life with no explanation.

He laughed a little, trying to brush off the depressing atmosphere. "It's been so long since I've told anyone about this. The only other person I've told this to was Toothiana. I guess...what that lady at the toy store said about us is true."

"Huh?"

Jack smiled at her warmly and said, "I _am_ at ease when I'm around you."

The waiter came back with their sundae and two spoons. As Jack thanked him quickly, Elsa continued to look on after him worriedly, wondering if he really was okay with how things turned out with Jaime. The blond's concern quickly came to Jack's attention and he scooped a bit of the whipped cream onto his finger and dotted her nose with it, breaking her out of her trance.

"Jack!" she exclaimed, attempting to wipe the sticky cream off of her nose without ruining her makeup.

He licked his finger clean, then laughed. "Gotcha. Don't look so serious over it. It's all in the past."

"But -!"

"There's no use trying to change what happened in the past, Elsa. What happened, happened. It prevents us from focusing on the now and the future." He offered up a smile as he scooped up some of the red velvet ice cream portion of the sundae and ate it. "You can contemplate it all you want, but I'm just telling you now it won't do you any good." When it looked like she was not budging, Jack shrugged and scooped the red colored ice cream again. "Fine, then I'll just end up eating all of your red velvet while you worry over it -"

She suddenly grabbed his wrist and pulled the spoon over to her. She clamped her mouth over the delectable frozen treat as she glared at him.

At this, Jack laughed as he pulled the spoon out of her mouth. "It's good, isn't it?"

Elsa did not answer him as she took her spoon and moved towards the vanilla portion of the sundae, to which Jack responded by lightly tapping her spoon with his.

"Hey, hey...don't get greedy."

"You took a bite of the red velvet and I know you don't like it!" she protested stubbornly.

"And I know you don't like vanilla!" he said, laughing at how adorably she was behaving.

" _Jack_!" she whined.

" _Elsa_!"

* * *

She held her hands together, cupping them to her lips as she blew out puffs of hot air into them. Jack was not kidding when he mentioned that the wind chill tonight was going to drop down to almost near freezing. However, despite the freezing weather, Elsa noticed that there were many people gathered around the Christmas tree that was set up in the middle of the plaza - all awaiting the moment that the entire tree would be lit up at midnight.

Elsa checked her phone and saw that there was only a couple of minutes left before the tree lighting.

She looked all around for Jack as she stood there in the bustling crowd of spectators. He said that he would be right back, saying that he was going to go throw something away. It had been five minutes ago since he left and Elsa was starting to wonder if he got lost coming back or if there were was no trash can nearby where he could have thrown away whatever it was that he needed to throw away.

As she stood there, she suddenly felt a group of young men brush past her. She stumbled a little and they quickly apologized before going about their way, but Elsa stood there, frozen to the spot at the sudden touch. She shivered, holding herself as she leaned against one of the brick walls of the stores that lined the plaza. Being with Jack, she had thought that she was over what happened last night with Edwin and his friends, but being brushed up against other men, she felt the same repulsion and terror all over again.

It confused her. It was not like those men that just passed by where aiming to harm her. It was on accident, but just the feeling of their bodies brushing past, nearly brought her down to her knees in fright.

Being alone at this time did not help either. Elsa tightened her grip around her arms and her lips parted slightly as soft puffs of of her breath could be seen in a white vapor. She could not stand it - the terror that gripped her body so tightly that it suffocated her. The feeling of Edwin's hands all over her, his lips and his tongue violating her mouth...

"Elsa?"

She was quickly brought back to reality at the familiar sound of Jack's voice. Elsa gasped, staring at him as he stared back at her with worry.

"Are you okay? Did something happened?" he asked, gently taking her hand.

There was no reaction. Instead, Elsa welcomed his touch as it brought her comfort. Her bottom lip quivered a little as she shook her head quickly. "N-No...I'm just...a little anxious."

Jack squeezed her hand tightly and looked at her face. The side of her face where Edwin had hit her was still slightly redder than the other cheek. There was also some scabs from the abrasion that was left. Jack looked at her with a certain pain in his eyes as he brought her in for a gentle hug. He closed his eyes as he whispered, "it's okay. I know you're still scared. I don't expect you to get over what happened last night so easily."

Elsa lowered her eyes as she clutched at his back. "I thought I would be okay...since - he didn't really go all the way." She began to shiver against him as she pulled away slightly. "When a couple of guys bumped into me earlier...I began to remember what Edwin did to me. And then how I thought that I deserved all of it. That I was being punished. I hated it. I hated what they did to me and what I was doing to myself. I felt so powerless and weak - " A soft cry escaped her as she quickly forced it down, not wishing to cry in front of Jack again. She quickly lowered her head, trying to hide herself from Jack's view.

That was when she spotted something white in her peripheral vision. She raised her head in curiosity and saw a single, beautiful white flower that was wrapped in a clear cellophane sheet that had dozens of small snowflake designs imprinted on it. It was all wrapped up in a teal colored ribbon as Jack held it out to her.

"What...is this?" she asked as she stared at it with wonder.

"A camellia," Jack stated, "It can withstand the cold, but...it needs a lot of warmth to help it bloom." He smiled as he handed it off to her. "I saw some in the flower shop that we passed by and it reminded me of you - strong and resilient, no matter what happens. It will do its best to live on...and so will you."

Elsa lowered her head, feeling tears pool up in her eyes as she sullenly shook her head. "N-No...I'm not -"

"You are." Jack clasped his hands around hers, his voice unwavering. "You're already doing your best to move on and I know you can. You can't expect yourself to get better in a day."

She trembled. "I can't stop thinking about it Jack. He - he did things to me and I wish I fought back harder. Maybe then he wouldn't have gotten the chance to leave all those marks on my body or kiss me!" Elsa's shoulders shook as she tried to contain her tears. Even then, the memories of last night played through her mind. "It felt so disgusting when he kissed me," she choked, tightly grasping the camellia in her hands. "I wanted to throw up because I couldn't believe that my first kiss was like that! I didn't want a first kiss like that at al - !"

It all happened so quick that Elsa could not even register that it happened until he pulled away. Her lips trembled as she stared at him, directly into his deep blue eyes. He was just a few inches away from her, a look of peace and calm in his eyes - a certain protectiveness. He leaned his arm against the wall beside her head as he cupped her chin. Jack quietly studied her face as he leaned in closer.

"It doesn't count, Elsa. What he did to you wasn't kissing. Not if he didn't love you."

She felt her heart nearly bursting as it rapidly beat inside of her chest. "Th - Then...?"

"I know I said I'd wait for your answer, but - right now, please let me help you." He pecked her lips softly, pulled away, then turned his head slightly to the other side and gave her a deeper kiss, holding his lips onto hers for a longer period of time. He pulled away to see Elsa's lovely blushing face as she looked at him again with a certain longing - silently asking for another kiss.

He answered her pleas, moving his hand to cup her injured cheek as he leaned in again.

"I'll erase the memories he gave you, Elsa. I won't let him continue to hurt you," Jack breathed out softly. He closed his eyes and kissed her once more, delicately as if she was made out of glass.

Elsa dropped the flower he had given her and she shyly placed her hands on his chest. She could vaguely hear the cheers of the crowd as the tree lighting started. The dazzling light display sparkled and shimmered brilliantly, lighting up the plaza, but Jack and Elsa ignored it as they were too caught up with themselves to notice the sight.

Jack wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her in close as he pulled away. He briefly saw her bright red face, her lips parted slightly - gasping for air in soft breaths, before he kissed her again.

She closed her eyes as she relaxed her body. A pleasurable feeling surrounded her entire being as she lost herself to him. All thoughts of Edwin and her trauma were chased away in that moment, replaced only by the sensation of Jack's lips on top of hers and the feeling of his body molded perfectly against hers.

The camellia Jack gave her lay forgotten on the ground beside their feet, its white petals almost catching all the different colored lights from the Christmas tree display - its white canvas being colored gently.


	11. More

**Marionette**

 **Chapter 11 - More**

 _Warnings: None_

* * *

Last night felt like a dream to her.

In Elsa's mind, the events from last night never happened - or at least it seemed like they never happened. She blinked dreamily, staring at the white camellia Jack had given her, lying on its side on top of her nightstand. It was physical evidence that yesterday did indeed happen, as well as...

She lay there in her bed, bringing her fingers up to her lips to brush against them gently. There was still a lingering tingling sensation.

Her cheeks turned a soft color at the recollection of Jack kissing her - from the first soft peck to the more intense kiss where their lips were pressed so tightly together that Elsa felt her lips become numb when he pulled away, as if they were missing something vital.

Elsa rolled over so that she was lying on her stomach. She looked at the new polar bear plush that she had fondly named "Olaf the Second" and squeezed it in between both her hands. Her eyebrows lowered in confusion as she stared into the round black eyes of the bear. She felt as if she was at a crossroads with her feelings for Jack.

She knew that when he had kissed her, it felt immensely pleasurable - unlike what she had imagined and a complete polar opposite from what she experienced with Edwin. She actually found herself enjoying it to some degree, although she felt like a nervous wreck. Elsa stared at the bear continuously before finally asking it or no one in particular, "does this mean I love him, Olaf?"

Even though she knew the doll could not respond, she continued talking to it anyways, bringing her some means of comfort.

"I know I shouldn't be questioning it so much at this point, but...truthfully, I'm hesitant, you know? I like him, I know that...but I don't know if I _love_ him." Elsa sighed, disliking the fact that she was even having doubts. Jack deserved a quick response from her, even if he said he would be willing to wait years for her answer. She pouted, staring at the plush and squeezing it once more. "It must be nice to just be a polar bear. You don't have to deal with things like this."

* * *

Even with Christmas over, Jack could still sense the joyous holiday spirit that emanated from North.

He watched as the burly older man happily hummed along to his dramatic orchestra music playing in the background, all the while performing maintenance on his twin swords. Jack knew that he was busy preparing to leave for several days with Manny to the island of Berk, where they were apparently going to go meet with a family that had ties with the Lunanoffs back in the day. Jack did not know too many details since North said even he was not even sure why Manny suddenly desired to make a trip to the island nation.

"Since Bunny and Tooth are all out on the job, once Manny and I leave, it will just be you and Sandy left. Make sure you take care of everything, Jack?"

When Jack answered him in a matter-of-fact tone, North chuckled lowly as he experimentally picked up one of his swords and gave it a slightly twirl.

"I know you can handle it, Jack. It's just that - it's the first time we're leaving you alone."

"I have Sandy with me," Jack replied, glancing over at the short, blond haired man sitting across the table from him. They shared a smile until Sandy went back to grading the papers he got from his students at the university. Jack faced North again, who sat at the opposite end of the long table. "Don't worry, we'll be fine."

Pointedly, North spoke to both of them. "Just don't start any new experiments or anything like that. Remember the last time when you two tried to create that super concentrated...er - _that_?" He pointed at the small canisters of liquid nitrogen strapped to Jack's holster, revealing themselves from behind his blazer as the white haired man leaned further back in his chair.

"But it worked."

Sandy nodded excitedly in agreement.

North seemed unimpressed as he gave them both a deadpanned glare. "You two nearly suffocated from the fumes. You are lucky that we were around to help clean up the mess or else you could have died."

"At least it worked," Jack answered, smirking as he and Sandy shared a laugh.

North sighed at them and stood up, holstering his twin swords at his waist. "Chemists..." he grumbled under his breath. "I just do not want to see the compound or the building upstairs in flames or ruins when we come back."

"You don't need to worry so much."

"I mean it, Jack."

"Fine." Jack let out a loud sigh as he stood up from the chair. "Is that all you called me over here for?"

"No. There is another reason."

"Which is...?"

North set his gray-blue eyes into a stern gaze as he spoke to the young man. His voice lowered into a whisper, "Manny won't tell me all the details, but I have reasons to believe that he is traveling all the way to Berk in search of allies." Noticing the quizzical look on Jack's face, North continued, "with the fall of the Lunanoffs and the death of Agdar Winters, Manny has no allies in power as of now."

"And how does this concern us?"

"I think Manny is trying to revive the Lunanoff name, after all these years."

Jack creased his eyebrows in confusion. "Uh - doesn't that mean good news for us? If Manny revives the Lunanoff name, then maybe we could actually walk through the front lobby of the building upstairs again," he joked, but quickly cleared his throat afterwards when he noticed that North was not amused.

The older man pursed his lips as he stroked his salt & pepper colored beard. "Mm, no good. No good. I'm worried Manny will not be able to handle it. He's been isolating himself from the world for far too long. He doesn't know what is out there and how difficult it will be. Whatever the case may be - !" He slapped his large hands down on either of Jack's broad shoulders, startling the young man. "- you and Sandy take care of each other while we're away. We shouldn't be gone for more than a few days."

"Will do," Jack answered, smiling broadly. He was starting to get excited at the idea of holding down the fort by himself - with the exception of Sandy. Although he did feel like the rest of the Guardians accepted him, he still felt rather distant from Manny. The man never spoke to him directly, face-to-face. That being said, Jack did not even know what their leader even looked like. He only knew him by a voice - kind of a smooth, high-medium pitched voice that did not have the gravelly, baritone weight that most men had.

Jack had always wanted to ask North and the rest of the Guardians what Manny actually looked like, because at some point during his life he got unbearably curious. However, the curiosity faded and nowadays, Jack could honestly careless. Especially when he was still a little bit sour over the policy Manny implemented about love and romantic relations.

A little beeping sound came from Jack's pants pocket, grabbing his attention. He reached into his pocket and pulled out the black smartphone, turning the alarm off with a simple swipe of his thumb. "I should head back," he stated, seeing that the clock read 9 AM.

Sandy waved him off, an ear-to-ear grin decorating his round face. Jack returned the gesture and bit his lip, smirking mischievously as he quickly signed something to the blond man. North spotted this and he glared, snapping out, "Jack! Sandy! I thought I told you no experiments while we're gone!"

Jack chuckled as he hopped up the stairs. "Don't worry! We were just joking."

North narrowed his eyes, annoyed at the young man. He said nothing to him as Jack gave a two-fingered salute and bid them farewell before disappearing towards the elevators. The large, elderly man sighed tiredly as he looked over at Sandy, who was innocently grading his term papers.

"Keep an eye on him, Sandy, hm?"

The short man quickly nodded. He then looked over to where Jack had gone off to and signed to North, who replied with a light scoff.

"Who knows? Lately his mood swings up and down so much, I think he's going through puberty again, but...you are right, Sandy. He does seem a lot happier than normal. Hm, I wonder what happened?" The wrinkles beside North's eyes deepened as he contemplated out loud, "maybe he finally felt the joy of Christmas!"

* * *

Jack ran his tongue over his lips again.

A light fluttering feeling filled his stomach at the memories from last night. He did not want to admit it to himself, in fear of sounding like a hormonal teenage boy, but - that was the first time he had ever kissed a girl. It did not register with him at the time since his main priority was to comfort Elsa, but after it happened, he came to a realization that it _really did_ happen.

He finally kissed her.

Jack let out a soft sigh as he leaned against the trunk of his car. He closed his eyes and a little smile spread across his face.

He could still remember her adorably blushing face as she stared up at him with her round blue eyes. She did not say anything to him, simply looking away shyly as she clutched onto the sleeves of his shirt. They had stood there like that for what seemed like the longest time, until Jack suggested that he take them back home since it was getting late. The entire ride back, she never said anything to him - that was, until they arrived home.

Jack could still remember that as he pulled up to the driveway and parked the car, he felt her place a soft kiss on his cheek and mutter a quick 'thank you' before exiting.

Ever since then, he had been in such a happy mood that not even Bunnymund could bring him down. Although a small voice in the back of his head told him that he should not get his hopes up about Elsa just because she returned his kiss, Jack decided to ride this wave of happiness all the way to shore. There was absolutely nothing that could bring him down.

A familiar car, one that Jack had seen before, pulled up into the estate driveway. He recognized it to be the car of Anna's boyfriend, Hans. There was no mistaking it since he had to follow them around all over town that one night.

Curious, Jack pushed himself off of his car and walked around towards the front of the house. As he approached the car, he saw Hans getting out and immediately locking eyes with him. He looked confused as he asked, "ah...you look really familiar, have we met?"

"Uh..." Jack thought back and he realized that he had never really met Anna's boyfriend face-to-face before. This was the first time. "I think so?" He was careful to not reveal that he had been tailing him on his and Anna's date. He knew that if the red head ever got word of it, he would never hear the end of it.

Hans smiled as he held out his hand to Jack. "Hans," he introduced himself.

The white haired man took the outstretched hand cautiously. "Jack -"

"Oh! You must be Elsa's bodyguard? Anna has mentioned you a few times when we spoke." He chuckled lightly as he added on, "thanks for scaring off all those other boys that Anna met in the past." Seeing Jack's confusion, he quickly said, "ah, she told me about how you would accidentally scare them off." He laughed sheepishly, clearly embarrassed when Jack had no idea what he was talking about.

"O-Oh," Jack lied, pretending to know what exactly Hans was referring to. He smiled uncomfortably and responded, "no problem."

"Do you know if Anna's home? I've tried calling her, but I guess her phone's still a little messed up from dropping it in the fountain last night on our date."

 _"So that's where she ran off to in such a hurry,"_ Jack thought to himself, sighing tiredly. He assumed that she had once again lied to Elsa about where she was going and he wondered what he should do at this point. Elsa may or may not approve of Hans and Anna dating, and Jack himself was standing on neutral ground. Unsure of what to do, Jack simply told him the truth. "Anna should be home."

"She is? Great!" Hans responded cheerfully.

He decided that he would deal with whatever Elsa would say to him later, but for now, he though the best choice of action would be to just tell the man the truth.

"Oh! Hans!" Wendy exclaimed as she greeted the young men at the front door. "Pleasure seeing you here again! Are you here for Anna?"

"Yes," he stated with a handsome smile.

"I'll go get her - !"

"Actually," Hans cut in briefly, "could you also inform Elsa that I'm here as well?"

"Elsa?" Jack asked incredulously, wondering what in the world Hans would want with her. He watched as Wendy nodded and left the entrance hall in search for the two sisters. He waited until he was sure the maid gone before speaking. He set his icy blue eyes in a serious gaze as he asked Hans, "what do you want to speak with Elsa for?"

Hans looked off past Jack with a sorrowful look in his green eyes. He then lowered them to the well-polished tiles beneath his feet and stated, "I heard about what happened with Elsa - from Anna. It must be so horrible to go through something like that - "

"If that's what you were planning to discuss with Elsa, then I'm afraid that I can't let you." Jack turned away and muttered, "she doesn't want other people's sympathy and bringing it up would harm her. Not to mention, she has to go through with the trial soon - "

"I understand, Jack, but what I've been meaning to say is that I would like to tell her that if she hasn't secured a good lawyer yet, my father's lawfirm would be happy to represent her."

"What - ?" Before Jack could question his very generous offer further, Anna's voice interrupted him.

"Hans!" she cheered excitedly as she rushed down the staircase. She brushed past Jack and leaped into her boyfriend's arms, hugging him tightly.

Jack turned around to see Elsa calmly approaching them. He gave her an inquisitive look, raising an eyebrow. She responded with a half-hearted shrug of her shoulders. He assumed that the two had put aside their differences and Elsa no longer had a problem with Anna and Hans, mainly because she knew that no matter how hard she tried, Anna would still find ways around her to meet him.

"What are you doing here?" she asked, clearly ecstatic that he would show up "unannounced."

He took hold of her hands and said almost dramatically, "I tried calling you, but the line would cut off."

"Ugh," Anna let out a sigh of disgust. "I'm so sorry, Hans. I kept my phone all night in a tub of rice and I thought it was working fine, but I guess not. I guess I'll have to get a new phone soon," she said dejectedly.

"I'll buy one for you!"

Her cerulean eyes lit up. "Really!? I -I mean, you really don't have to Hans - "

"I _want_ to."

Before the couple could say anymore, Elsa cleared her throat rather loudly so that it could be heard. When she managed to catch both of their attention, she smiled politely at Hans and asked, "I'm sorry to interrupt you two, but...Hans, why did you want to speak with me?"

"Oh," he let go of Anna's hands to face Elsa, "I would like to discuss a rather - sensitive topic with you, if you don't mind. In _private_. Could we possibly speak in your study?"

"Sensitive - ?"

"It pertains to...the events two nights ago."

Jack immediately sensed Elsa's uneasiness. He creased his brow as he watched her gently squeeze her hands together. He could tell that she was fighting to put on a brave front, as if what he said did not affect her.

"U-Uhm, what for?" she questioned him, trying to keep her voice from trembling.

"I understand that you need to go to court soon and I would like to offer you my help in representation in court. I can have my father's lawfirm fully behind you so that the man that did this to you can be put behind bars for a very long time." He searched her face, looking for any answers. "No expenses at all."

"At all?"

He let out a light-hearted laugh and told her, "there's no way I could ask the sister of my girlfriend to pay, not when I'm the one coming to you offering you my family's services."

"Oh Hans, you're so generous!" Anna gushed, clinging to his arm.

After a moment of hesitation, Elsa gently nodded her head and agreed. "Alright," she said in a soft voice, "what will we need to go through?"

"Well...we'd need to discuss this in private. I can get one of my older brothers on the phone, see which one is free to take on this case. I'd love to be the one to represent you, but - I'm still in law school," he chuckled sheepishly. He noticed the uneasiness still lingering on Elsa's face as she stood there before him. "Please do not worry. My father already gave me the 'okay' and he said he would love to help out. Your father have been long time acquaintances with mine."

With the reassurance, Elsa took in a deep breath and exhaled slowly, clearing her head. "Okay," she said in a determined tone, "I'll take you up on your offer, Hans."

"Great - so then, let's talk about this privately in your study." As they moved to leave, Hans stopped Jack as he was about to follow. "I'm sorry, Jack, but this needs to be done in private."

Jack looked at him with distrust and retorted, "I can't leave her alone. I need to be there, just in case."

"I'm sorry, but - "

"Jack," Elsa said, stopping the two from starting an argument. She smiled at the white haired man. "I'll be fine."

"But - !"

"I remember what you told me yesterday - I can get through this. I know I can...it's like you said, about that flower. I want to live on too. I don't want what happened to me to make me live the rest of my life in fear." She reached for his hand and held it tightly, squeezing it gently in order to easy his worry over her. "You did all you can - and more - to help me, but now...I have to do this myself."

Jack looked into her eyes, looking for any signs of hesitation, but saw that there was none. She looked firmly set on her decision. He knew that when Elsa was set on something, she was as stubborn as a mule. Jack let out a short exhale through his nose and smiled at her. "Alright. If that's what you think is best."

He let go of her hand and watched as she led Hans upstairs to her study. Jack heard Anna walk up next to him.

"She'll be fine."

Jack looked to Anna and the young girl beamed at him. He lowered his eyes and muttered, "I can't help it. I still worry for her."

"I know you do. It's really obvious." Anna snickered when Jack shot her an embarrassed glare. "Not saying it's a bad thing! I'm just glad that she has someone like you by her side." Anna's eyes lowered in melancholy as she shuffled her feet a little on the tiled floors. "...She never really had friends in school since she rarely talked to other people. I wished that she would come talk to me, but it was hard to get her to open up. I still feel guilty for getting angry with her at our parent's funeral, even after apologizing. She didn't deserve the words I said...I know that Elsa cares about the people around her. You know...I honestly thought she would completely shut down after what happened to her a few nights ago. She told me everything that happened and it sounds like something that would affect her the most. Elsa...she hates being powerless and hates it when things are out of her control."

Anna let out a little sigh as she held her arm.

"She felt really bad for hurting you. She told me that she felt like she didn't deserve someone like you, but I told her that's not true."

Jack looked away, as if he was trying to hide his face from her in shame. He felt guilty for leaving Elsa to her thoughts after their harsh argument. Ultimately, he felt as if he was at fault for her getting kidnapped in the first place. "I don't think either of us deserve each other."

"Huh?"

"We both have our own faults and we both think that we don't deserve each other, but even so - we still want to be by each other's side. I know I want to - no matter what happens."

Anna felt herself blushing a little at the heartfelt words Jack was saying in regards to her sister. She did not know that he could so deep and understanding. She broke into a soft giggle and commented, "you _so_ love her."

Jack did not admit anything verbally, nor did he answer her. Instead, he simply blushed and looked away, embarrassed by what he had said as well.

"That's good though," Anna stated, holding her hands behind her as she raised her head haughtily.

"What?"

"That you two settled things by yourselves. I thought I would have to step in and mend things between you children."

Jack let out a dry laugh as he gently shoved Anna playfully. "Look who's actually acting mature for once."

"Same goes for you!" she fired back. "Mister - _"I love to play pranks on Elsa"_!"

He raised his eyebrow and let out a light scoff. "I don't anymore!"

"Yeah right! Just a month ago you stole her backpack and hid it from her!"

"That...was just a one time only thing!"

" _Right_. Whatever you say, Jack," Anna said lightly as she heading upstairs.

Jack stood at the base of the stairs, looking up at the red head, then questioning her. "And where are _you_ going?"

"I'm going to go check up on Hans and Elsa," she said, waving her hand a little at him as if she was disregarding his imploring tone of voice.

He followed her up the stairs. "You can't just barge in there, Anna."

"I don't barge in!" She looked to him, seeing his skeptical expression. Anna rolled her eyes and sighed. "Okay, maybe a few times, but I just want to make sure that they're talking things out okay. Besides - !" she pouted a little as she cross her arms over her chest. "He said he wanted to come see me today, not talk about boring legal stuff with Elsa."

"They're talking about something serious, Anna."

"Yeah, but I thought Hans said that he won't actually be her lawyer. One of his brothers will, right? So he doesn't really need to talk to her in private," Anna countered, making Jack think about what she had just said.

She did have a point. If Hans was not going to be her lawyer, he had no reason to take Elsa into the privacy of her study to discuss matters further. He felt an overwhelming feeling that he should have pushed her to take him with her, despite Hans' insistence that they be alone.

When they arrived at the study, Anna knocked on the dark, glossy wooden door. "Elsa!" she called out sweetly, "Hans! Are you guys done in there?"

Hans opened up the door not a moment later. He smiled at the two of them and asked, "what's wrong, Anna?"

"I missed you!" she whined like a little child, hugging him tightly. "I thought you came over today to hang out with me."

"I did," Hans replied, returning her hug.

"Well," Elsa piped up, smiling, "I think we're all settled here, Hans. Thank you for helping me."

"Oh it was nothing. Just introductory stuff," he chuckled. "How about next time I bring over my brother so that he could prep you for the trial? You said it's in two weeks?"

"Yes."

"Perfect. I'll talk it over with him and he'll give you a call back."

Elsa waved him and Anna off as they left the study. Jack watched them walk back over to the double staircase, presumably going outside. He turned his attention back over to Elsa, who tiredly sighed as she slumped in the large leather swivel chair behind her desk. He smiled as he entered the study and closed the door behind him.

"That bad?" he asked.

Elsa let out a wry chuckle as she sat up straight. "I didn't know what he was saying half the time. Good thing I didn't go to law school. The classes would have bored me half to death. But - I'm glad Hans offered to help me with this trial. I was worried on what I'll even do." She watched as Jack approached her until he stood in front of her desk. Elsa looked up at him and she noticed a trouble look upon his face. "What's wrong?" she asked him worriedly.

"Nothing."

"Jack..."

"Really." He did his best to put on a smile. Jack did not want to tell Elsa of his suspicions of Hans, not when it looked like she was content with trusting him with winning her trial. He knew that Hans was to be of use to Elsa and it would be a bad move on his part to question some of Hans' actions today. He thought it was much too convenient of him to suddenly show up at her house and offer to represent her in court - and at no expenses. Not to mention, what Anna told him just before they reached the study was also suspicious. Even though the red head said it without much thought at the time, he knew that what she saw held some truth behind it. There really was no reason for Hans to be there other than to help her connect to his brother in order to speak with him.

Elsa kept her eyes on him, sensing that something was bothering him. She got up from her seat and said, "Jack...I know something's bothering you."

He flinched a little when he felt her cup his cheek. Jack looked down at her and saw her striking blue eyes, almost piercing right through him. He looked away after a brief moment, afraid that she would see deeply into him and see the truth.

"If you're worried about me...then don't be." Elsa smiled at him, warmly. "I told you...I want to handle this myself. I know I can." She giggled a little and took her hand off of him. "I'm not some helpless little girl that needs everyone's pity...I thought I was, but...a persistent bodyguard convinced me otherwise."

Jack chuckled and asked, "gee, wonder who that is. Sounds like a great person."

Elsa rolled her eyes and playfully hit him in the arm. "Whatever, don't get cocky." It took her a while to realize that she had kept her hand on his arm, even after hitting him. When she finally noticed, she blushed hotly and stammered as she quickly retracted it, holding it close to her chest. "E-Erm, anyways! I really appreciate what you said to me last night!"

"O-Oh...that," Jack cleared his throat nervously as he looked away. "No problem." He glanced down at her and asked, "are you - feeling better?"

"Huh?"

He looked at her wrists, which were still wrapped in a white bandage.

"Oh! These..." Elsa nodded in response. "They're healing really fast! I guess the medicine they gave me to rub over the wounds really helps!" She seemed optimistic - happier than she seemed yesterday. Jack began to wonder if she was the same as him, her happy mood being attributed to their first kiss they shared last night at the tree lighting.

"That's good," he responded, smiling at her.

"Ah, also - thank you for the bear...and the flower." She blushed a lovely pink as she nervously stood there. "I - uhm - feel bad that I couldn't really get you anything."

Jack laughed lightly. "Why do you feel bad about that?"

"Because! You gave me those as presents and - it makes me seem like I don't care about you as much even though I do - !" She bit back her tongue before she could say anymore, realizing that she had just blurted out. Elsa held her hand over her mouth a she looked away from him, afraid to look him in the eye.

Her honesty caused him to blush slightly. Jack lightly bit and tugged at the corner of his bottom lip, wondering what he should say to her after that unexpected confession.

Elsa glanced over at him and saw him biting at his lips, a habit she noticed that he does whenever he was nervous - a habit that she found cute of him, secretly of course. Her heart sped up when her eyes lingered on his lips. She swallowed a lump in her throat, realizing that _those_ were actually touching hers last night. Her entire being stilled when he turned his head back to look at her again and saw her staring at him, almost intimately.

She gasped and quickly apologized. "S-Sorry...like I said...I feel bad that I couldn't get you anything."

Jack looked at her shy actions and he knew that she was staring at his lips just a while ago. Normally, he would have mentioned it to her, teasing her about it, but he did not want to risk hurting her feelings or pushing her emotionally with the state that she was in right now. He had to be careful, not to overstep boundaries and cause her harm. That was why - he relinquished the small flame of desire that threatened to grow inside of him. He did not say anything to her about this - not even willing to admit this to himself either, but he actually liked - _really liked_ \- kissing her last night. Her lips felt soft and they tasted sweet, which he assumed it was because of the candy-flavored lip gloss she was wearing. He liked that her reactions were shy and innocent, unwilling to kiss, but at the same time, showing that she was eager to.

Unbeknownst to Jack, Elsa was also thinking the same things as him.

Even before Edwin's assault, she had thought kissing was gross. Some people had bad breath that she caught a whiff of whenever they spoke too closely to her or some people have poor oral hygiene and she would see the yellowing of their teeth, which made her believe that kissing another person was disgusting, but she felt no such disgust when kissing Jack. Perhaps it was because she knew that he had the most beautiful pearly white teeth or that his breath always smelled slightly minty, but what ever the case may be, she enjoyed sharing a kiss with him.

And she secretly wished that he would do it again.

"Uhm," he cleared his throat slightly, trying to break the awkward silence. "I think I'll step outside for a bit -"

"Ah, wait!" She took hold of his wrist, stopping him. Elsa felt her heart pounding hard against her chest as she looked up at his imploring gaze. "U-Uhm, about the presents -"

"Don't worry about it," he replied, chuckling lightly. "I gave them to you, not expecting anything in return."

"I just - want to say thank you."

"You don't need to. You already said it plenty of ti -" Jack froze to the spot when he saw Elsa leaning up to plant a soft, innocent kiss on his lips. His mind blanked out as she pulled away, a sweet blush upon her face as she looked away from him.

Elsa nervously clenched and unclenched her fists, wondering if she was too forward. "S-Sorry. Was that too much - ?" She stopped when she looked up at Jack as he stepped closer to her. Her blue eyes shone with confusion as he slowly walked her backwards. "J...Jack?" she breathed out, letting out a soft noise when her hips made contact with the edge of her desk. Elsa shrunk back a little when Jack loomed over her.

She turned her head away, jumping slightly when she felt Jack's lips lightly graze her cheek. He moved closer and pecked the area around her mouth, silently asking for her to turn her head to face him. Elsa gave into his requests and shivered as he gently prodded his face close to hers. It felt as if he was gently nuzzling her face, cautiously placing light kisses around her face before he finally pulled away just slightly to kiss her on the lips fully.

Elsa whimpered softly as he pressed up against her, tightly closing the gap between their bodies. She shuddered against him, her mind going blank as she tried to place her hands on him. She found herself unsure of where to place them, feeling hard objects underneath his blazer, almost all around his torso. She knew that they were his weapons and she was scared to lay a hand on them accidentally and have them go off - or something like that.

As the kiss deepened, Elsa let out a low, shivering moan.

Jack seemed to take notice and he pulled away just slightly to murmur a quick 'sorry' under his breath. He looked as though he was going to go in for another kiss, but he stopped, much to Elsa's confusion.

"Jack...?" she asked, her chest heaving up and down with each heavy breath. Even though it was a brief kiss, she felt as if he had drained all the oxygen from her lungs. Elsa carefully pushed herself off the desk as she watched Jack take a step away from her. He seemed conflicted. "Is...something wrong?"

"No - I...I'm sorry I moved without thinking." Jack shook his head slightly. He suddenly felt guilty for pushing her into a deepening kiss. He was not sure if she could handle something like that in her current state and he was afraid that he was injuring her.

"It's okay," Elsa answered in a soft whisper. "I...I didn't mind."

He looked at her bewildered by her response. Elsa seemed to pick up on this and she took a step closer to him. She blushed as she looked up at him.

"I liked it," she admitted shyly.

Jack felt his breath leave his lungs when he saw her reach up to grab either lapel on his blazer and gently pull him back down. He felt her kissing him again and it seemed as though she was getting bolder. His hands went around to her waist. One rested on her hips as the other one carefully trailed up her back, rubbing at the soft wool of her white sweater. He moved his lips experimentally, opening and closing them.

Elsa responded by moving her lips as well, in accordance to his. She let out a soft whine into his mouth as she pressed herself onto him, gently guiding him backwards in some direction.

With their lips still locked, Jack let out a soft grunt when his back made contact with one of the bookshelves that lined the study's walls. He felt Elsa pull away slightly, cheeks reddened and her blue eyes dilated and looking straight up at him. Her small hands still clutched at his blazer tightly as she used this time to catch her breath.

Jack parted his lips slightly, panting. He watched Elsa fidget against him. She seemed hesitant on what to do.

"Elsa..." he whispered, drawing her attention.

She stared up at him innocently. Then, she leaned up close to his lips. In an almost inaudible tone, she murmured, "more..." Her breath tickled his lips pleasurably, causing Jack to let out an involuntary shudder.

He managed to give her his trademark smirk, despite the fact that he was a blushing mess. "Is that a request, Ice Queen?"

She shot him a little irate glare.

"It's an order, Frost."


	12. Resolutions

**Marionette**

 **Chapter 12 - Resolutions**

 _Warnings: None_

* * *

"Is it really okay to just drop in on your friend like this?"

"Of course!"

"... _Unannounced_ , I mean."

The brunette rolled her green eyes at her soon-to-be husband as she languidly sipped at her iced coffee. "Eugene, it's fine. Elsa and I go way back! We dropped in on her a few months ago, remember? She likes it!"

Flynn - who only let his fiance Rapunzel call him by his real name, Eugene - crossed his arms over his broad chest and sighed. "Are you sure you're not getting 'surprise' confused with 'distress'? You know how much she loves to organize and plan things out first. Dropping by unannounced is like, committing mental murder on her."

"Oh, stop being such a worrywart," she replied, waving her hand at him, much to his irritation. "She'll be happy to see us and you can go have your play date with Jack for a few days." She snickered when she noticed him giving her a glare. "Hey, you _do_ get along well with him. Your guys' 'bromance' could qualify as your second love," Rapunzel teased as Flynn turned to stare out the window of the small cab they were riding from the airport, a disgruntled frown on his face. She giggled as she leaned over towards him. "Oh, I'm just kidding, Eugene! You don't have to get upset over it!"

He relaxed slightly when he felt her give his cheek a soft peck, however, Flynn still kept the scowl on his face. Rapunzel did not think too much of his bad mood, however. She knew that he was stubborn whenever she teased him playfully.

"Hmm," Rapunzel contemplatively looked up. "I wonder if Jack finally made a move."

"What?"

She looked to Flynn. "You know - to Elsa. I know you know what I'm talking about Eugene. He told you about it."

"No," Flynn replied pointedly, "he told _us_ because you practically interrogated him."

Rapunzel dramatically slapped a hand over her chest. "Did not!" she retorted with a gasp.

Flynn gave a deadpanned look to her. "Seriously? You forced him into a locked room and interrogated him with a frying pan in your hands."

"Pfft, the door locked from the inside. I told him he's free to leave anytime and it's _just_ a frying pan. Jack's a bodyguard, I'm sure he could have taken me and you out easily."

"Not with how you wield those things..."

Rapunzel pouted a little as she shot him a little glare. "At least I got him to confess."

"You could have very easily just asked me to ask him for you if you were that desperate to know. Although, I don't know if I would have told you if he asked me to keep it a secret," Flynn said with an eye roll. He saw Rapunzel raising an eyebrow at him and his demeanor changed quickly - slyly smirking at her. "Babe, don't deny the strength of the 'Bro Code'. You never rat on your brother, no matter how much your girl questions you."

Rapunzel sighed in disgust at her fiance. "You're so lame."

"And you're the one marrying this 'lame' guy." Flynn snickered at her pouty expression.

"We're here!" the cab driver announced, breaking up the couple's playful teasing. He pulled into the half-circle driveway in front of the massive mansion and immediately got out of the car, rushing over to the trunk to help take out their luggage bags.

"I still think this is a bad idea," Flynn commented as he helped the driver take out the last luggage bag from the trunk.

"It's fine," she reassured him with a sigh. Rapunzel gladly paid the driver his fees as well as a generous tip, waving off the grateful man as he profusely thanked her. She turned her attention back towards Flynn and placed her hands on her hips. "Elsa would appreciate it."

"I guess," he replied with a halfhearted grumble. "I was also talking about your parents too. It looked like they hired some special bodyguards for their trip to Burgess."

"So?" Rapunzel asked as she grabbed one of the heavy luggage cases and attempted to haul it up the front steps.

" _So_ \- are you sure you should just leave on your own little adventure? Without protection? You _are_ the daughter of Corona's ambassadors, you know."

She let out a loud exhale as she successfully got the wheels of the luggage bag up one step. Flynn saw this and helped her carry the bag with little difficulty. Rapunzel quickly thanked him, then stating in a confident voice, "I can handle myself, Eugene. Besides, I know you got my back, just in case," she winked, nudging him in the ribs lightly. The brunette then turned her attention to the front door and gave it a knock.

It was not a moment later that the door opened up, revealing Wendy, who greeted them with a soft gasp.

"Oh my! Miss Rapunzel! And Eugene!" The maid seemed delighted to see the couple. "This is such a surprise!"

Rapunzel giggled lightly in response. "I suppose. We just wanted to drop in on Elsa and Anna."

"A horrible idea, really - _ow_!" Flynn yelped as he earned a sharp nudge to his sides by the brunette.

She quickly brushed off his side comment and smiled at Wendy. "Is that okay?"

"Of course! Although...Anna isn't home at the moment, I'm sure the mistress would be ecstatic to see you two. Come in, come in!" she chided them, helping them roll their luggage inside. "I'll go inform her that you're here."

"Thank you!" Rapunzel called out, watching the maid hurry off upstairs. She smugly turned to look at Flynn and all he did was roll his eyes. "Told you it was a good idea."

"Just because her maid approves of us dropping by, doesn't mean Elsa will."

"She _will._ I think I know my best friend better than you ever will, Eugene." Rapunzel proudly puffed out her chest, eliciting another eye roll from her fiance.

It was not long before they heard a cheerful voice greeting them.

"Rapunzel!" Elsa's face lit up at the sight of her best friend. She rushed down the double staircase, with Jack following behind her a few paces away.

Rapunzel giggled as the two women shared a tight embrace. "Glad to see you're doing okay, Elsa."

"You too!" Elsa exclaimed, pulling away to face her friend directly. She wore a broad smile as she looked over at Flynn, who greeted her with a polite handshake.

As soon as he let go of her hand, Flynn went over to greet Jack - loudly exclaiming that he missed him. "Jack! It's been way too long, man!" He chuckled as the two exchanged a friendly hug.

Jack returned the laugh, pulling away. "Way too long."

Rapunzel sighed wistfully as she and Elsa watched the two men from the side. "Now if only Eugene would greet his fiance with the same amount of excitement in the mornings..."

Flynn gave her a sour glance, sharply turning away when the brunette giggled at him.

Elsa gently touched her friend's shoulder and offered with a warm smile, "should we go talk in the lounge? I think we all need to catch up."

* * *

"They really do get along well, don't they?" Rapunzel whispered to Elsa as they sat together beside the window overlooking the front yard, each with a cup of hot tea in front of them. She pointed towards Flynn and Jack, who were sitting at the sofas, idly chatting and occasionally bursting into laughter.

Elsa giggled at the sight and commented, "it seems like it."

"Must be because they're so similar in ways." Rapunzel took a sip of her tea.

"Huh?"

"Eugene grew up in an orphanage too," she smiled solemnly at her teacup, "he told me that it was hard growing up there and it wasn't any easier when he finally left when he turned 18. He worked odd jobs here and there, never really making that much, but it was enough to get him through each day." Rapunzel raised her head to look at Elsa. "I know Jack was an orphan too and although he didn't go through the same things as Eugene, that feeling of loneliness must be the same."

Elsa glanced over at Jack, who was immersed in whatever story Flynn was telling him. "You might be right..."

Rapunzel leaned over slightly and whispered, "plus, they both have such wonderful women like us beside them, right?" She snickered when she saw Elsa's face turning a slight pink. Raising an eyebrow in a sly gesture, Rapunzel watched Elsa nervously sip at her tea before she popped the all-important question on her. "Did you two finally realize your feelings for one another?"

Elsa choked on her tea, spitting it back out as she spluttered at how blunt Rapunzel's question was. "W-We - !"

"AHA!" the brunette exclaimed, grinning widely. She knew just from Elsa's reaction. "So you two did! Finally! I was wondering when it was going to happen!"

"You knew?"

"It was kind of obvious," she stated. "There was a tension between you two since the last time Eugene and I came over to visit. It was almost unbearable."

The blond let out a soft sigh, embarrassed over the entire thing.

"Plus - " Rapunzel continued, "Jack kind of admitted to us that he liked you. I was surprised that you didn't know because, again - it was pretty obvious."

Elsa nervously fidgeted, not wanting to admit that she actually could not pick up on whether or not Jack liked her. It seemed like the entire world knew that Jack liked her and she was the only one denying it or remaining oblivious.

In a vain attempt, she tried to defend herself, "I just thought that he was just being a bodyguard...you know, they're supposed to protect and care for you. B-Besides...Jack's just being nice - "

Rapunzel laughed rather dryly. "Elsa - let me tell you something..." She leaned in closer and shot a glance over to Jack, "how he acts towards you is _not_ just because he's a nice person." A heavy sigh escaped her brunette's mouth when she saw the confusion written all over Elsa's face. "You're that clueless about love, aren't you Elsa?"

"I can't help it!" she retorted, a blush from embarrassment painted all over her cheeks. "It's not like I had any interest in boys or dating in the past!"

Giggling at her innocent reaction, Rapunzel asked teasingly, "oh? I see you've been saving yourself for Jack?" Her giggles turned into laughter when she saw Elsa's blush intensifying.

"That's not it!" she shouted, thoroughly embarrassed by her friend. It took Elsa a while to realize that her outburst had drawn the attention of Flynn and Jack, who were sitting at the opposite side of the room. She looked at them, who were staring back with wide eyes, wondering what the commotion was about. Realizing her outburst, she quickly cleared her throat and went back to her conversation with Rapunzel.

"It's okay to admit it," her friend offered up with a smile.

"...Sorry," Elsa admitted, her voice soft. "I just...don't know right now."

"About what?"

"About the entire thing with Jack. A part of me wants him so badly, but then...another part of me is still scared to commit to him."

"Why?"

The blond looked down at her cup of tea and whispered, "I feel like I'm not ready. I can't even take care of myself, how am I supposed to take care of another person?"

"It's true - that being together with someone means not only taking care of your needs, but theirs as well." Rapunzel gave a kind smile to Elsa. "But you just have to trust that, that other person will also take care of you. Do you trust Jack, Elsa?"

"I do!"

"Then it shouldn't be a problem."

Elsa parted her lips to speak again, but quickly shut them when she realized that she could not say anything back to her. Yes, Elsa trusted Jack - she always told him this in the past, but if what Rapunzel was saying was true, then why was it so hard for her to return his feelings for her? Why was it so hard to give him a simple 'yes' or 'no' answer?

* * *

"...Miss Winters?"

"Ah, y-yes?"

"Did you hear what I just said?"

Embarrassed that she had been caught dazing off, Elsa shamefully lowered her head and shook her head slightly. "I'm sorry - "

The man sitting across from her sighed tiredly as he pushed his frameless glasses higher up the bridge of his nose. His sharp green eyes narrowed at her. "That's fine," he said, even though his annoyance was apparent on his face and tone of voice. "I'll just repeat what I said."

Elsa noticed that Hans' brother, Aaron, was rather - _strict._ She had expected him to be more easy-going and talkative like Hans was, but he was the exact opposite. He hated small-talk and it seemed as though he had no other interests other than trying cases and winning them.

"Any questions?" he asked, finishing up his brief overview of what Elsa would encounter during the trial. "Your trial is in a week and if you want me to perform to the best of my abilities, then I will need you to do exactly as I've said, Miss Winters." His green eyes lowered in an eagle-like glare as he looked at her.

"Y-Yes. I understand."

"Good." He packed up the documents and slipped them in a leather-bound folder. They were silent for a bit before Aaron spoke up once more. "It is to my understanding that you will become the CEO of Winters Financials when you turn 21?"

"Yes," Elsa answered her as she showed him the way out of her study. "I'm still studying at Burgess - planning to get my Masters first - "

"No amount of degrees will help you, Miss Winters."

"...Excuse me?"

He pushed up his glasses again, sighing. "Education is one thing, but if you lack the leadership and charisma a CEO needs, then I'm afraid you'll bring the downfall of the corporation your father tried very hard to build up." He turned to look at her and he commented, "I'm only telling you this because you will need such values during the trial. You are aware that the man that tried to rape you will be in court as well?"

"Yes - "

"And do you want to show him how weak you are? Do you want to show him that you truly are incapable of becoming the CEO he fears you will become?"

"I - "

"Do you want to prove him _right_ , Miss Winters?" Aaron asked, narrowing his eyes at her.

"Of course not!" she shouted, feeling irritated with her lawyer's line of questioning. She wished that she could spit out more words at him, internally furious that he would talk to her in that way when they had just met, but she bit back her tongue and said nothing - only because she knew that what he was saying had some truth behind it.

"I'm going to be honest here, Miss Winters," Aaron let out a slow sigh as he tightly clutched at the leather-bound folder. He coolly pushed back some stray strands of hair away from his face, slicking it back. "I want to win this trial, not only for your sake, but for my own record. I can't win with you lacking a backbone on the stand. If you're acting unsure or hesitant up there, then you might as well give Edwin and his lawyer the victory on a silver platter." He gave her one last glance before heading out the door. "Perhaps you should make that one of your resolutions. The new year is going to be upon us by tomorrow."

Elsa pursed her lips, unable to say anything back to him as Aaron left the room. She stood there in silence for quite some time, thinking about what he had just said to her. He was right - she needed strength and mainly, a backbone going into this. Things were not going to get easier from here on and out. They were going to get harder and she came to a slow realization that she could not continue acting like this - a spineless and hesitant little girl.

 _"...if you lack the leadership and charisma a CEO needs, then I'm afraid you'll bring the downfall of the corporation your father tried very hard to build up."_

Aaron's words echoed in her mind. It hurt - but he was right. She needed to be decisive and confident from here on out - not only just with this trial or as a future CEO, but also with her feelings with Jack.

Elsa tightly clenched her fists and drew out a long breath.

All of this was easier said than done.

* * *

"...'Morning."

"Good morning."

Elsa smiled at Rapunzel, who sleepily approached the dining table, rubbing her eyes slowly. She watched as the brunette took a seat across the table from her and immediately dig into the breakfast that Wendy had laid out for them.

"Is Flynn awake?"

Rapunzel lazily spread some butter over her toast as she yawned. "He wanted to stay in bed longer. I've been dragging him around Arendelle and Southern Isles all day yesterday. He's probably tired. Plus, he's not a morning person," she said, taking a bite of the buttered toast. She looked around for a bit and asked Elsa, "where's Jack? Is he still sleeping? And Anna...?" Rapunzel stopped herself and seemed to figure out the answer to that question without help, "I'll just assume that she's still asleep."

"She's not a morning person either," Elsa laughed as she gently wiped her mouth with a napkin, finishing up her breakfast plate. "And as for Jack, no he's not," she answered. "Jack tends to wake up early. I'm not sure how he runs on so little sleep, since he goes to bed pretty late too."

"Where is he right now?" Rapunzel asked, taking another bite of her butter toast.

"He just stepped out for a bit," Elsa answered, not really wanting to go through explaining that Jack probably went to go meet North again. She assumed that was what he always did whenever he left early in the mornings. "He'll be back soon."

Rapunzel let out another yawn as she stabbed at her scrambled eggs with her fork. "Eugene and I were thinking about going out tonight to watch the fireworks. Heard that they do a huge celebration display at the piers. You should come with us, Anna and Jack too!"

"Sounds fun." Elsa gave a little smile. Just thinking about the festivities and sharing them with the people she loved made her feel a swell of joy bloom inside of her. It had been a stressful end of the year for her, not to mention, the past few days she had been busy prepping for the trial against Edwin. It was especially harder when her lawyer was an uptight, strict man that demanded no slip-ups or anything of that nature.

She took a sip of her hot coffee before she got up from the dining table.

"Where are you going?" Rapunzel asked, her mouth full of food.

"To find Wendy. I have to tell the rest of the maids and butlers that that could take the rest of the day off after this. It's the new year after all. I'm sure all of them want to spend it with their family," she stated, smiling.

Rapunzel cooed, "aw, that's nice of you."

"My parents did it in the past too," Elsa replied back modestly. "Besides - we'll be at the fireworks event anyways."

"True."

* * *

Jack took a look around the quiet underground compound. It felt a little out of place that it was this quiet, but it was expected since North and Manny were probably in Berk by now and Toothiana and Bunnymund were both escorting the ambassadors of Corona on their visit to Burgess. Sandy had texted him the day before, apologizing that he could not check on the compound today with Jack since he was swamped with grading term papers.

"Hm, everything seems fine," Jack muttered to himself, taking one last look around before turning off the lights.

He got back on the elevator and rode it up to the lobby floor. The doors opened up not long after and Jack got off, taking out his car keys as he did so. He twirled the keys around his finger, casually going around back and leaving through the side exit of the building.

As Jack reached his car, he heard the whimsical melody of his ringtone in his pocket. Wondering who it was, Jack took out his phone and looked at the caller ID. The name on the display was Elsa's. A little smile played upon his face as he answered the phone.

"Hello?"

 _"Jack?"_

"Well _this_ is rare," Jack said as he reached his car. He chuckled lightly as he leaned against the trunk.

 _"What is?"_

"Getting a call from you. To what do I owe the pleasure?"

He heard her scoffing lightly before responding. _"Whatever. I only called to see where you were. Rapunzel and Flynn wanted to go see the fireworks tonight since it's the new year. She said that if we wanted to come with them, we could."_

Jack smirked, although he knew that Elsa would not see him. "Are you asking me out on a date?" he asked playfully. He could just sense her blushing on the other end of the line.

 _"I'm not asking anything!"_ she shouted sharply. _"I just thought it would be nice to go see. Plus...Rapunzel's kind of going with Flynn and Anna already invited Hans."_

He knew that she was unwilling to admit that she was asking him out on a date, but he decided not to push it any further, knowing that she would just continue to deny it. Jack spun his car keys once over again. "Alright then, just to save you from being the odd one out, I'll _escort_ you to go see the fireworks."

Elsa seemed to pick up on the sarcasm in his voice and she sharply retorted, _"not a date."_

He sighed tiredly. "Not a date," he repeated after her, just to appease the blond.

 _"Good."_

When she abruptly hung up on him, Jack pulled away the phone from his ear and stared down at it with a deadpanned stare. " _Bye,_ I guess," he grumbled as he got into his car with a sour expression on his face. Whenever he thought that he was used to her stubbornness, she would pull something like that - totally unexpected. He could understand that the future CEO-to-be was not quite agreeing with her feelings for him - after all, she failed to provide a proper answer to him about their relationship.

But if she was answering by _physical_ means, then he was pretty confident that the feelings she had of him were mutual.

He remembered how just a few days ago, they were pretty much on the brink of a full blown make-out session in her study. It definitely got heated and it _definitely_ could have gone further had it not been for Elsa suddenly pulling away and apologizing. He remembered that he was dazed at that point, unable to think straight and unable to form proper words as he managed to stammer out a 'why' at her.

She muttered out a lame excuse - completely last minute and Jack would have normally called her out on it, but then he finally noticed her body was slightly trembling and the expression of fear slowly taking over her delicate facial features. That was when he realized that she did want to actually _do things_ with him, possibly even reciprocate his feelings for her, but she was scared. He assumed that what happened with Edwin had distorted her views of what was acceptable in loving someone and what was not.

Jack unknowingly gripped the leather handle of his steering wheel tightly as he thought back to the events that occurred over the several days leading up to Edwin assaulting Elsa. He knew that at some point, Elsa did harbor some feelings for Edwin - whether Jack liked it or not. He remembered how she had slapped him during one of their arguments regarding Edwin, even defending him afterwards when Jack criticized his feelings towards Elsa.

It irritated him, angering him to some degree. The entire series of events just irritated him.

Not just the fact that Elsa had liked another man other than him, but the fact that, that other man had betrayed her feelings for him in one of the cruelest ways possible. He subjected her to physical injuries and a lasting mental trauma. Jack knew that it was one of the reasons why Elsa was still scared to provide him an answer. She trusted Edwin too fast, naively believing that he was a true gentleman, but in the end she was betrayed with a horrifying experience that would forever be embedded into her mind.

Jack knew that Elsa was scared of being hurt - even by him. He did not put it past her, knowing that he had said some _pretty_ hurtful things to her out of jealousy because of Edwin.

He arrived at the estate and pulled into the driveway. As he turned off the car, he let out a exasperated sigh as he leaned back against his seat. It was difficult to keep up with her moods and feelings. One minute it was like she was completely infatuated with him, but the next it was as if she was annoyed with him. Of course, Jack did not hold this against her at all. He _was_ the one that said that he would wait for her and with what happened with Edwin, he knew that she was still in the healing process of trusting and loving someone.

* * *

"Does this look good? Or this?"

Anna held up two scarves, showing them to Elsa, who was sitting on her bed.

"I thought you said you don't trust my fashion sense," Elsa questioned.

"Yeah, but it's always nice to get a second opinion. Besides, your fashion sense isn't that bad," Anna answered, smiling excitedly as she held up the scarves again.

The blond furrowed her brow slightly and finally pointed at the dark green scarf. "That one. Green looks the best on you," she remarked.

"I was leaning towards this one," Anna said with a confident smile as she tossed the other pink scarf back into her closet. She wrapped it around her neck and walked over to her full-length mirror, smiling as she checked herself. She puffed out her chest and let out a relieved sigh. "Perfect!" she exclaimed, satisfied with how she looked. Anna sharply turned around to face her sister and she curiously asked, "aren't you going to get changed?"

"There's still plenty of time," Elsa shrugged, checking her phone to see that there was still two hours before they had to leave for the piers. She could do her makeup and get dressed by then - no problem.

Anna placed her hands on her hips and she asked skeptically, "we're all going out on a date and you want to be last-minute on your preparations for it? Is this really how you want to start out the new year?" She saw the confusion written over Elsa's face and she sighed. "Jeez, I feel so sorry for Jack..."

"Why?"

"Because he has a girlfriend that doesn't care about how they looked for their date."

Elsa immediately blushed and retorted strongly, "he's not my boyfriend! And it's not a date!"

"Oh?" Anna slyly grinned. "Are you sure? You two seem to be getting pretty touchy with each other now, even graduating to finally kissing each other."

The blond's eyes widened. "Wait! I never told you that we kissed - !"

"Aha! I knew it!" She snickered, seeing her sister's mouth agape. "It was just a hunch when I ran into Jack the other day as he was coming out of your study. He had all the telltale signs that you two kissed, but I didn't want to jump to conclusions."

 _"She's sharp,"_ Elsa thought as she looked away, embarrassed.

"Since you two are kissing each other now, I suppose you're an item? Finally - _ugh_ \- the tension between you two was getting unbearable - !"

"We're not."

Anna looked to her sister, perplexed by her brief answer. "What are you talking about?"

She seemed hesitant in replying. "We're just not. It'd be inappropriate for us anyways. He's just a bodyguard."

"Oh please," Anna rolled her eyes as she took a seat beside Elsa on her bed. "You're still using that excuse? You know that it doesn't matter - I mean - look at Rapunzel and Flynn. He practically grew up in the slums before they met each other." She set her cerulean eyes on her sister in a serious gaze. "I know there's another reason, Elsa."

After a brief moment of silence, Elsa finally managed to whisper out. "I'm still scared...I guess."

"Of who? Jack? You know that he would never do anything to hurt you. He's definitely not like Edwin - "

"I know. I know that," Elsa let out a harsh breath as she hugged herself. "I _am_ comfortable around Jack. We've known each other for so long, but he's not why I'm scared."

"Then...who?"

"Me," Elsa answered, softly. She dropped her head sullenly. "I do love Jack. I care about him deeply, but...I don't think I'm ready to get into a relationship with him. I'm weak, useless, and indecisive - and the things that have been happening to me lately seem to validate that. I can't even trust my own judgement anymore because of Edwin. I couldn't pick up that he had ill-intentions for me and look where I ended up. I trust the wrong people...and I end up hurting the people that only try to help me." Her voice dropped to a low whisper. "...I don't know what Jack sees in me at this point, because I don't see anything except a helpless, naive little girl."

"...Is that anything a future CEO should be saying about themselves?"

Elsa looked to Anna, confused.

"I only see my strong, beautiful sister sitting in front of me - someone that is more than capable of taking on our father's corporation."

"But - "

"You're only berating yourself!" Anna scolded, standing up and placing her hands on her hips. "If you don't see yourself as the person you are, then how do you expect other people to do the same?"

Elsa did not answer her.

"Now -" Anna pulled her off of her bed and guided her towards the door. "You are going to get yourself ready and we're going to have fun tonight! Okay?"

"But - !"

"No more _but's_! You're going to start this new year's off right, sis! Got it?"

Just then, Anna's phone rang, interrupting the two girls. Ceasing to pull Elsa out of her room, Anna quickly went over to her phone and picked it up. "Hello?" she answered, her face immediately lighting up with delight as she exclaimed, "Hans!" She was brimming with enthusiasm as she exclaimed, "you're out front? Great! I'll be right there!" She hung up the phone and brushed past Elsa, briefly stopping beside her to give her a serious look. "You had better be dressed up and stunningly gorgeous the next time I see you. And no more of that negative stuff, alright?"

"What?" Elsa asked incredulously as she watched her sister leave down the hall. She furrowed her brow a little and stood there in front of Anna's bedroom with a hand on her hip.

"Makes you really wonder who's the older sibling, huh?" a familiar playful voice said from behind her.

She sharply turned around and narrowed her eyes at no one other than Jack. "Shut it," she snapped out, walking past the bodyguard.

"I'm just teasing," he commented, raising an eyebrow at her. Sensing her irate mood, he followed her and asked, "who pissed you off?"

Elsa stopped walking and closed her eyes. "I'm just not in the mood, Jack."

"Are you ever?"

"Jack - "

"Fine, fine." He stared at her for a bit and asked, "want to talk about it?" Jack stepped closer to her cautiously. He waited and waited for a response, but the deafening silence only grew. Almost immediately, his mood fell into a somber state as he muttered rather darkly, "you know...I'm here even when you're in a bad mood and not _just_ when you're in a good mood, right?"

Elsa turned to face him with a suspicious look in her eyes. "What are you implying?"

He tightened his fists, trying not to shout at her. It was hard, considering that he was starting to get fed up with her behavior around him. He was confused with how she had been treating him. "I'm _saying_ \- you can't just push me away or draw me back in whenever it's the most convenient for you!"

"I'm not!"

"Then tell me what's wrong!" When he did not get a reply from her, Jack let out a frustrated groan and ran his hand through his silvery white hair. "What the hell," he whispered under his breath, clearly frustrated as he turned away from her. "So you can kiss me whenever you feel like it, but you shut me out when things actually matter."

"That's - !"

"Elsa," Jack cut in, a hint of malice and sadness in his voice and eyes as he spoke to her. "Do you even like me?" he asked. "I know I said I would wait for your answer, but you're sending me mixed signals right now and...I honestly don't know if I can keep playing this game."

Her heart ached at the sight of his pained expression.

She was hurting him again.

Elsa clenched her fists tightly until her nails dug into her palms. She wanted to tell him that she did love him, that she did care deeply for him. She wanted to tell him all that and much more, but she found that her own fear was holding her back from admitting anything to him.

"Jack...I - " she paused, biting her bottom lip. Her heart beat loudly inside of her chest, anxious in telling him what she told Anna earlier.

That was when there was a sudden, shrill scream coming from the entrance hall, followed by the sound of multiple gruff male voices that sounded unfamiliar to both Jack and Elsa.

"Anna!" Elsa exclaimed, hearing the sound of her little sister's cries. She attempted to run off towards the source of the disturbance, but was stopped by Jack.

"We need to get out of here," he told her urgently, grabbing her wrist and trying to run away.

"But Anna - !"

"What do you think you'll be able to do if you go over there? We don't even know how many there are or why they're here," Jack said sternly. They both stilled when they heard the voices telling each other to search the entire mansion. Jack yanked at Elsa's arm, silently telling her that they needed to move.

Unwillingly, Elsa followed him. Her heart raced when she heard the distant sound of heavy footsteps coming up the double staircase. A frightened whimper escaped her as they rounded a corner sharply, just as the men started coming down the hallway of bedrooms.

Jack leaned up against the wall, holding Elsa close to him as he tried to listen in on what the men were saying.

"Jack," Elsa whispered, panic apparent in her voice, "what about Rapunzel and Flynn? They're still in the guest bedroom - !" She was immediately silenced by Jack placing a hand over her mouth.

He shushed her and turned his attention back towards the men, who were now raiding the bedrooms.

"Find Elsa Winters!" one of the men shouted. "Even if we have to tear this entire house apart!"

Jack knew that Elsa had heard that by her trembling in his arms. He ground his teeth together when he heard that the men were getting closer to where they were. He had no idea who these men were and how they got into the mansion without triggering the security alarms.

"Follow me and keep quiet," he whispered, taking Elsa's hand and running down the adjacent hallway. He ran down to a personal library room that Elsa's father had created for he was an avid reader. Jack opened up on side of the double doors and dragged Elsa inside. He quickly shut the door and locked it behind them.

"Jack - they'll find us in here," she told him, wondering what he was doing when it looked like he was perusing the bookshelves. She knitted her eyebrows together in confusion as she followed him around.

"Your father told me that he built this room for two purposes - one, because he actually really liked books and two -" Jack let out a sharp breath as he grinned as he found the specific bookshelf he was looking for. He pulled out a dark blue book from the lavish arrangement and reached inside to flip a heavy switch.

Elsa watched in amazement as the bookshelf directly behind them started to sink into the ground, revealing a dark hallway.

"- he wanted to make an escape route just in case something like this were to happen," Jack finished, placing the book back onto the shelf to conceal the switch. "Your father was always paranoid about whoever was out to get him and the rest of his family. Thankfully because of that, he made all this. I always thought he was a little _too_ paranoid at times, but I guess he was right to be suspicious all the time."

Elsa gasped when she heard a loud banging noise on the thick, wooden doors of the library. Her blue eyes widened in fear as she heard the gruff male voices right outside.

"Break it down!" she heard one of them yelling.

Jack brought her attention back to him as he gently guided her into the tunnel. "Go. Quickly," he whispered, following her in. Once inside, he flipped the switch on the wall beside him and the bookshelf slid back up, closing off the hallway just as they heard the wooden double doors cracking open.

The last words Elsa heard before being immersed in darkness was -

"If you find Winters, don't hesitate to kill her! We need her dead!"


	13. The Queen's Sword and Shield

**Marionette **

**Chapter 13 - The Queen's Sword and Shield**

 _Warnings: Mild blood/violence_

* * *

The only thing Elsa could hear was the sound of her own breathing. The only thing that she could see was the dimly illuminated path in front of Jack as he used his phone's flashlight.

"Watch your step," he warned her as they went down a small set of stairs. The wooden floor boards creaked underneath their feet.

They walked in silence for a while before Jack spoke up.

"Are you okay?" he asked, sensing the heavy atmosphere that surrounded her.

Elsa shivered, holding herself. "Th-They...said they wanted to kill me. _Actually_ kill me." She swallowed visibly. She could only imagine what would have happened if she and Jack were just a second late before getting into the hallway. She gasped softly as she raised her head to look at Jack. "What about Anna? They wouldn't have killed her right? I think she said Hans had come over as well...do you think they're both okay?"

"Maybe - "

"Flynn and Rapunzel too - !" Elsa stopped abruptly when Jack turned around to face her. She looked at him with panic in her blue eyes.

"The first priority is to get you to safety. You're the one they want - not Anna, not Rapunzel," Jack told her sternly. His voice sounded rather cold towards her. It was unlike him, causing Elsa to feel a slight pang of pain inside of her chest.

"R-Right..." she agreed softly, lowering her head.

Jack looked at her, feeling slightly guilty for speaking to her in such an impassive manner, but he tried to ignore it. He turned away from her and continued down the dark stairwell. "...This will take us to one of the gardens in the back of the mansion," he told her, "there's a little cellar there that you can stay in for now."

"Stay in?" Elsa questioned just as they got out of the stairwell. She stopped, watching him for a while before jogging to catch up. "What do you mean?"

Jack furrowed his brow slightly, wondering why she was questioning it in the first place. "It means that you're staying in there? Until I can sort out this mess."

"There has to be something I could do!" Elsa retorted.

"What can you do?" he asked, turning around to face her. His dark blue eyes narrowed down at her, almost intimidatingly. "No offense, Elsa, but you'd only get in my way."

She pursed her lips tightly as they approached an old wooden door. "How was that supposed to be _not_ offensive?" she questioned him skeptically.

He ignored her, opening the door and stepping inside. The inside of the small cellar was rather dirty and the air felt a little damp with the smallest hint of a musty, moldy smell. It was obvious that no one had been in it for a while. "Stay here for now and keep this door locked, as well as the trap door. I'll knock five times - clearly. Only then you open the door, got it?" Jack asked her sharply.

Elsa glared at him as he went over to the trap door that lead out to the gardens. "I understand you're angry with me Jack, but does that mean you get to treat me like this?"

"I'm not angry with you," he lied, unlatching the loose lock from the door.

She let out a dry laugh as she stormed up to him. At first, she was feeling apologetic, but now she was starting to get annoyed with him. He was treating her as if she was unable to do anything properly. "Yeah right," she spat out, "I know you're still angry with me over what happened earlier. Look - I'm sorry, Jack."

"Can we _please_ do this later, Elsa?" he sighed tiredly as he unsuccessfully tried to push the rusty steel doors open above his head.

"Not if you're going to keep treating me this coldly! And treat me as if I'm some moron that can't do anything right!"

Jack groaned at her in frustration. "Seriously? You're going to start an argument _now_?" He planted his feet firmly down on the rickety old wooden steps and grunted as he tried to push the doors open again.

"Yes - I am!"

"Why?" he questioned her, quite frankly tired of all this sh -

" - Until you let me actually do something right now!" Elsa shouted angrily. "These guys actually came to take over my house and kill me! Do you really expect me to do nothing?"

"Yes," Jack answered pointedly. He groaned as he held his head. "Why are you suddenly so insistent on doing something now when there were plenty of similar situations in the past?"

"I _just_ answered you - they actually threatened me in my own house! Plus, they got Anna and the other people I care about!" Seeing as how their argument was getting nowhere, Elsa reached out to grab at Jack's ankle as he stood on the wooden steps. She grabbed his attention, staring directly up into his eyes. Elsa let out a harsh breath and whispered, "I'm tired of feeling inadequate. I don't want to be that meek, defenseless girl anymore, Jack." She bit her bottom lip at the memories of what happened with Edwin. "I want to fight back for once!" Her voice grew softer as she loosened her grip on his ankle. Elsa dropped her head slightly and muttered, "...I want to prove to myself that I'm not weak."

Jack quietly stared down at her with an impassive gaze. He eventually lowered himself so that he was back down on the ground, standing directly in front of her. "...So what if you are?"

"Huh?" Elsa looked up at him and saw that his gaze had softened from earlier.

"Weakness...isn't a bad thing, Elsa." Jack gently pulled her into a hug, surprising her. "You're still scared and fearful, and if that means you're weak, then so be it - it's who you are. But you should know that your weakness isn't the only thing that defines you."

Touched by his words, Elsa returned his hug, gently whispering his name. "Jack..."

He pulled away from her abruptly, sternly telling her, "but you still can't come with me." Jack stopped her just as she parted her lips to speak. "This isn't the time to argue this Elsa. These guys are dangerous."

"Then shouldn't we get the police involved?"

Jack knew that the Guardians preferred not to get the police involved when it came to their jobs. What Toothiana told him back on the night of the gala event echoed in his mind. They needed to be kept a secret to the outside world - for reasons he was not yet clear on. Regardless, he knew that he had to honor that unless it was absolutely necessary.

"I'll handle it," Jack simply told her. He took out his gun and handed it to her, knowing that he barely used it. "Here."

Elsa felt him place the heavy weapon in her hands.

"Don't put your finger on the trigger unless you're serious about shooting it," he said. "It'll give you some protection just in case something were to happen."

She swallowed visibly as she experimentally wrapped her hand around the handle. "I-It's...heavier than I expected it t -" A soft gasp escaped her when there was a loud banging on the steel doors above their head.

Jack protectively held out his arm to the side, standing in front of Elsa as he drew out his staff. He clenched his teeth, wondering if they had been found out already.

The doors practically flew open as Jack readied himself to attack whoever it was that dared to jump down.

"Jack? Elsa?" a familiar voice whispered out.

Jack widened his blue eyes, recognizing the voice as he cautiously eased over to the doors. He looked up and exclaimed in surprised, "Flynn!"

The brunette grinned broadly as he saw them. "Thank god you guys are alright." He crouched near the doors, looking down into the cellar.

"What are you doing out here? We thought you were inside the mansion," Jack asked.

"I just came out for some fresh air since Rapunzel was taking her sweet time getting ready for tonight," he replied, his voice slowly turning more serious. "...Jack - Rapunzel's still inside. I tried to get in when I heard some gunshots, but I saw how armed these guys were...I just ducked into these trees to hide when some of them came out earlier to search the gardens. It sounded like they wanted Elsa."

Jack looked back at the blond, who visibly shivered. She walked closer to the doors, looking up at Flynn. "My sister...is she okay?" she asked him.

"I'm sorry, Elsa. I don't know anything about her. I was outside the entire time," he lowered his eyes apologetically.

Elsa knitted her eyebrows together in worry. What if they had killed her sister in place of her? What if they were harming her? She felt a gentle hand on her shoulder and saw Jack looking at her with a reassuring smile.

"She's fine. Don't worry," he stated. He knew that they were just empty words since it was not confirmed that Anna or anyone else was okay, but it brought some amount of comfort, which was better than none.

Jack looked back up at Flynn and climbed out of the cellar, back up to the surface. "We need to figure out a plan to get everyone out of there safely."

Flynn gave a quick nod in agreement.

The white haired man looked back down at Elsa and told her, "stay here and keep this door locked, as well as the door leading back up to the library. Keep track of the time too. If it's past an hour and you don't hear anything from us, then call the police."

Elsa pursed her lips, seemingly discontent with having to stay behind, but she complied with him for now.

She watched as Jack and Flynn closed up the heavy steel doors. The rusty hinges groaned and the doors shut tightly with a loud thud. The room was briefly immersed in pitch black darkness until she turned on her phone, providing some light for her to navigate around towards the steel doors to lock them up.

She did the same to the door that led back up to the library, lowering a wooden beam to barricade it. As she finished up securing the small cellar, Elsa could not help, but feel the uneasiness inside of her grow. She did not like being stuck in there while everyone else was out there. Elsa tightly gripped the handle of the gun Jack had given her. It provided her with some comfort, but not much - not when she had zero experience shooting a gun.

Elsa sighed at her herself, starting to hate how she was unable to do anything to help the situation right now. She took a seat on the wooden steps that led out the steel doors, holding the gun in one hand while holding her phone in the other.

It felt as though she _had_ to do something - despite what Jack said.

* * *

"Is it okay just leaving her in there?" Flynn curiously asked Jack as they observed the mansion from the grove of trees that provided them cover and safety.

Jack looked back at the steel doors behind him on the ground and responded, "it's fine. Her father had it built should a situation like this ever arise." He focused his attention back on the mansion, scanning all the visible windows for any signs of movement. "Were you here the entire time?" he asked Flynn.

"Yeah, that's how I found you guys." He let out a dry chuckle as he looked out at the mansion as well. "You nearly gave me a heart attack when I heard the doors rattling. Wasn't sure if I should help open it because I thought it was one of them."

"But you did."

"Just call it - my _gut feel_ ," Flynn said with a soft laugh. "Plus, I figured that with how hidden the door is, it was some sort of secret passageway. Thought only you or Elsa would know about it since it _is_ her house."

Jack simply let out a wry chuckle. "Good thing you went with your gut feel then. Thought we were stuck down there." He leaned forward a little, narrowing his eyes when he spotted someone walking past one of the hallway windows. "There," he told Flynn, nodding his head over to the house.

The brunette looked over and furrowed his brow curiously. "It's just one of them. It looks like he's just walking around."

"Still trying to find Elsa, I bet," Jack muttered, spotting another man walking around in the downstairs area as well. "I don't know how many there are for sure, but it definitely looks to be more than three. "

"This is bad," Flynn commented, "we don't even know how many there are. And like I said, they seemed to be pretty heavily armed. These guys definitely seem to know what they're doing."

"It's been planned for a while, no doubt about that," Jack replied as he stood up. "This wasn't just random. They even knew how to disable the alarm without triggering anything."

Flynn looked up at him and whispered, "what are you planning to do?"

Jack removed his staff from its hold on his back and extended it. He twisted it so that it came apart in two halves. "We need to to surprise them. Otherwise, we won't have the upper hand." He freed two of the nitrogen canisters from his holster and put one into either half of the staff. Once the canisters were in, Jack reassembled his staff.

"How are we going to do that? Once we leave this place, we're kind of out in the open and they would probably spot us from the windows." Flynn sighed, feeling as though the situation was quickly growing dismal. "Maybe we should just call the police - "

"No," Jack said, taking out his last two canisters of nitrogen. He smirked as he held them in his hands. "We're getting inside."

* * *

Rapunzel clenched her teeth as her wrists were being bound together in a rough tweed rope. It was tight, digging into her skin painfully.

"Is this really necessary?" she questioned the two men that were holding her, Anna, and Hans hostage. Rapunzel glared at them as they stood at the doors in front of the parlor, guarding it.

"Hey, make her shut up," one of the men said to the other. "She's been going off since I found her in the bedroom."

"You know the orders. We can't harm anyone else other than Elsa Winters."

The man clicked his tongue in annoyance. He took out his gun and walked over to Rapunzel, staring her down. He held the weapon to her temple and whispered, "don't think that I'll hesitate to use this if the situation arises."

Anna let out a scared whimper as the man pressed the gun tightly to Rapunzel's forehead. "P-Please, what do you want from us?" the red head asked fearfully. She visibly flinched as the man diverted his attention towards her. Squirming uncomfortably on her knees, Anna widened her eyes as the man walked up to her.

"All we want is for you three to tell us where Elsa Winters is. We know she's somewhere inside this mansion and we're going to tear this place apart to try and find her," he said in a dangerous tone, causing Anna to shiver involuntarily out of fear.

"And if you can't?" Hans questioned, kneeling beside Anna.

"Then...you three better start talking as if your life depended on it." He chuckled darkly, walking away from them.

Anna sadly dropped her head, worried about Elsa and about their situation. Hans sensed this and moved closer to the red head, trying to console her.

"It'll be okay, Anna," he said gently. Hans wrinkled his brow in distress as he commented, "it's all my fault. They came in right after I did. They must have followed me." In a hushed whisper, he turned away from Anna and said, "I'm sorry."

"What?" Anna leaned over to get a better look at his face. "Hans, this was not your fault at all, so please don't think that. We'll get through this, okay?" She tried to stay positive, despite the fact that she was terrified.

"Yeah," he breathed out, visibly trembling. "We will."

* * *

He squinted his gray eyes, looking out into the gardens. He was not sure if his eyes were playing tricks on him or if it was some sort of illusion, but among the snow covered grounds and hedges, he thought he saw a plume of smoke. Curiously, the man slid open the glass doors that led outside and cautiously walked over. It looked as though a large section of the rose garden was on fire with how much smoke was being emitted into the air.

"What the hell," he whispered under his breath, clenching his teeth as he walked over to the area.

There was snow everywhere on the ground and the air was chilly, not to mention that the skies were overcast. There was almost no chance of any fires starting up in these kind of conditions, so it perplexed him to see so much smoke wafting through the air.

He approached the rose garden and waved his arm through the air, coughing, as he tried to clear his area of vision to see what was making so much smoke.

 _"Wait a minute...this isn't smoke - "_

Just as he came to a realization that the mysterious smoke was actually a _vapor,_ he heard someone running up behind him. He whipped around, tightly holding his gun, but he was too late.

Jack leaped out from the cover of the vapor clouds and threw his staff at the man's head like a javelin. The steel pole hit the man dead-on in the center of his forehead, causing him to stagger back. In a quick motion, Jack landed in front of him and crouched down. He caught his staff and delivered a sweeping kick to the man's feet, knocking him off balance.

The man fell to the snow covered ground with a grunt. Although disoriented, he managed to hold up his gun at Jack, only to have the young man quickly kick the weapon out of his hand. The gun flew off to the side, landing in the soft snow piles.

Jack placed a foot down on the man's chest, preventing him from getting up. He held one end of his staff threateningly to the side of the man's neck. "Who are you and your friends? And why do you want to kill Elsa?" he questioned, glaring when the man did not answer him.

Flynn picked up the discarded gun and watched Jack confront the man.

"Answer me!" the white haired man growled, his hold on the staff tightening until his knuckles turned white.

"Jack..." Flynn said, shaking his head. "He's not going to tell us anything and we're wasting time here. Look -" he waved his hand in front of his face, " - the vapor's thinning out. We should use this time to get into the mansion."

Jack looked back down at the man trapped underneath him and he narrowed his blue eyes in annoyance when he saw the man give him a cocky smirk. Deciding that Flynn was right, Jack gave his staff a quick spin once over, minimizing it, and delivered a quick, but strong kick to the man's head, knocking him out cold.

"They're wearing bulletproof vests," Jack commented, meeting up with Flynn. The two ran towards the mansion, making sure that no one was observing them from the windows inside. "That gun will be useless unless you hit them in the head to kill or on their arms or legs to disable them."

"Then...what else could we use?"

"It's better if we avoid killing any of them. Knock them out if possible. It'll create less of a headache if the police were to arrive."

"Alright."

Jack looked over at Flynn, raising an eyebrow skeptically. Flynn seemed to pick up on what Jack was thinking and he chuckled softly in response.

"I can take care of myself. Don't worry, Jack," he reassured his friend. "I may not be a bodyguard, but I got some tricks up my sleeve from my days living in the bad part of town."

"These guys aren't exactly your average thugs..."

"I took fencing too!" Flynn replied, trying to prove to Jack that he was capable of fighting. "- uh - because Rapunzel insisted of course. She thought it looked hot - "

A sigh escaped Jack. "Just don't get yourself killed."

"You really think that'll happened? Come on, Jack," the brunette lightly punched his friend in the shoulder, "ye of little faith."

The two men snuck into the mansion through the glass door. Flynn quietly closed the doors behind him once they were inside and Jack led the way. They made sure that they were quiet and discreet. They checked before turning corners and went around in silence, listening intently for any voices or noises that seemed foreign. As they made their way into the ballroom, the two stopped in their tracks when they encountered another man. This one seemed different from the one they encountered out in the gardens because instead of a neat suit, he dressed as if he was going off to a war any minute. His exposed muscular arms seemed to bulge and the combat vest that he wore looked like it barely fit his beefy physique.

His eyes seemed to almost pop out of their sockets when he spotted Jack and Flynn, surprised to see them. "What the - ?" He raised his semi-automatic at them.

"Flynn!" Jack shouted, telling the man to take cover.

The two of them split off, taking cover behind some furniture just as a hail of bullets shot out. When the gunfire stopped, Jack peeked out from behind one of the sofas and reached down towards his ankle, taking out the small, concealed knife he had.

He heard the man radioing in for help.

"Hey. I got two he - " Before he could finish speaking, a sharp knife embedded itself deep into his hand, preventing him from pushing down on his ear piece to speak. He looked towards the direction the knife came from and before he could react, Jack ran up to him and aimed a sharp jab with one end of his staff to the man's throat.

The beefy man grinned as he stepped off to the side, dodging it. Despite his large stature, he was rather agile.

Jack took note of this as he quickly put some distance between them. He narrowed his eyes when he saw that the man was about to fire off his gun again.

Just as the first round of bullets went flying, Jack ran off to the side and around. He spun his staff several times, all the while pushing down on the button in the center to release spurts of the liquid nitrogen aimed at the man's gun. He knew that he needed to disable that weapon if they wanted any sort of chance at getting the upper hand.

"Throwing some water at me isn't going to do shit, little boy," the man taunted, chuckling as he wiped away some of the chemical that got onto his cheek with the back of his hand. He aimed his gun at Jack again, only to stop when he felt a slight burning sensation, followed by copious amounts of vapor surrounding him.

"It wasn't water," Jack said in response.

Trembling at the continuously burning sensation, the man looked down at his hand and saw his skin was reddening intensely. In a panic, he looked back up at Jack and pulled the trigger to his gun, only to have the weapon burst and shatter right before him. The pieces fell to the ground, coated in a thin layer of ice. It was as if his gun froze from the inside out.

"What the f - ?" He gagged as Jack finally managed to deliver a blow to his throat, striking him in his vital spot. He staggered, but what brought him down was two gunshots to either of his legs.

Jack looked back towards the origin of the bullets and saw Flynn, holding up the handgun that they had taken from the man out in the gardens.

"Don't kill them, right?" the brunette asked, panting from the sheer adrenaline that pumped through his veins at this point.

Flashing a brief smile at his friend for a job well done, Jack looked back down at the man, who's cold burns were getting worse and starting to blister painfully. He lay there in agony, crying out in pain from all the injuries he sustained.

"Where is everyone being held?" Jack questioned sternly, taking a hold of the man's vest to pull him up slightly.

"What the fuck did you do to me, man - !?"

Clenching his teeth, Jack did not hesitate as he pushed the button on his staff to release more of the chemical from the ends. He wiped it off against the man's bulky arms and questioned him again as he screamed in pain.

"Answer me!" he demanded, shouting.

The man whimpered as he stuttered out, "th-they're in the parlor room - towards the front of the house."

"How many of you are here?"

"F-Five...myself included. - Oh my god, please help me. It fucking hurts - !"

Jack noticed a small patch on the man's vest as he dropped him back down on the floor. He gave one last glare at him and looked back at Flynn. "Let's go," he told him.

"God," Flynn breathed out, following Jack out of the ballroom as he glanced back at the man writhing in pain on the floor. "That was brutal..."

"They're from a mercenary company," Jack said, interrupting his friend. "Forget what I said about not killing them. If we're not careful, they're more than willing to kill us."

Flynn furrowed his brow. "Mercenaries? Does that mean...someone hired them?"

"Most likely." Jack minimized his staff and headed towards the parlor, where the man said everyone was being held at. In a morose tone, he whispered out, "someone that _really_ wants Elsa dead."

* * *

She really could not just sit there and do nothing while everyone else's lives were at stake.

Elsa stared up at the heavy iron doors that led outside, then switched her focus to the wooden door that led back up to the library. She then looked down at the gun in her lap. Fueled by determination and a swell of bravery, Elsa took the gun and stood up. She carefully tucked the weapon into the waistband of her light gray sweatpants and fixed her thick braid into a tight bun.

She pushed away some loose strands of blond hair away from her face and let out a soft exhale as she removed the barricade from the wooden door. It groaned as she opened it, more loudly than she would have liked it to. Elsa did her best to keep quiet as she went back towards the library. Even though this secret passageway was well hidden, she did not want to take any chances.

Using the greatest amount of caution, Elsa finally reached the hallway that led to the movable bookcase. It looked like an ordinary brick wall from this side as she illuminated her surrounding using the light on her phone. She gulped nervously, spotting the switch that could allow her back into the library. She flipped it and gasped softly, backing up a little as the bookshelf slowly sank into the ground.

As soon as the bookshelf was completely gone, Elsa stepped over the large gap carefully and scouted out the room. It seemed like no one was in there currently.

She uneasily kept her hand wrapped around the gun at her waist, spotting the wooden double doors at the entrance of the library to be broken down completely. Whoever these people were, they meant business.

Elsa tiptoed out, peering around corners and making sure she did not run into anyone. Since she heard Anna's screams from the front of the house before Jack took her into hiding, she thought that would be a good place to search for everyone.

As she ran off into that direction, Elsa thought several times about turning back and going back into hiding, but she quickly chased those thoughts away. She knew that she had to do this. Not only for everyone else, but for herself - more importantly.

 _"I don't want to rely on Jack all the time,"_ she told herself, setting her blue eyes into a determined glare. _"I don't want to feel helpless like I did before. Never again!"_

* * *

Flynn squinted his brown eyes down the hallway towards the parlor. He could not see much, but he could see from the small glass windows that there were at least two other mercenaries inside - guarding the doors. He silently got up from his crouching position and ran back down the hallway to meet up with Jack.

"There's two. Two inside the parlor guarding the doors," Flynn informed Jack.

"What about everyone else?" Jack questioned.

"I don't know, I couldn't see them."

Contemplatively looking at the ground, Jack gave a slight nod a little while after and came up with a plan. "We need to draw their attention so that they're out of there. If we try to engage them while they're still in the room, they could take Anna or Rapunzel hostage."

"Right." Flynn raised an eyebrow and pointed at Jack's staff. "Think you have enough of that chemical stuff to do what we did in the gardens?"

"I don't think so. It won't be enough to draw both of them out here."

"Hm," the brunette stroked his goatee, sighing as he did so. "What if I go out as a distraction?"

"What?"

"It might work."

"Flynn..." Jack said warningly, "these guys are heavily armed. One wrong move and you're dead."

"And Rapunzel is good as dead if I don't do something!" Flynn seemed desperate to risk his life for her. "Trust me. I think what I have in mind will work. I'm sure if they spot me, only one of them will come out, then when I get away with one of them, you engage the other one."

"It's a crazy ass plan," Jack replied, sighing. "But I can't think of anything else that would work." He complied with Flynn's plan and decided that he would stay behind the double staircase, hidden from view until Flynn managed to coax one of the guards out of the parlor.

The brunette looked to Jack, then gave a slight nod of his head as he rushed out from behind the staircase. He ran towards the front entrance of the parlor, wildly waving his arms up and down and shouting, successfully grabbing the full attention of the mercenaries.

One of the men came out of the parlor and behind him, Flynn saw Rapunzel, Anna, and Hans - tied up and sitting on the floor.

"I'll deal with him, you stay here!" one of the men shouted at the other as he chased after Flynn.

Jack saw Flynn disappear into the lounge, one of the mercenaries following him closely, and he used this opportunity to go after the remaining man in the parlor. He extended his staff and rushed forth out from behind the staircase.

"Another one!?" the man exclaimed, spotting Jack. He ran out of the parlor and held up his handgun, firing round after round at the bodyguard.

Jack dodged them, stepping off to the side whenever he saw the barrel of the gun aimed towards him. He heard the bullets flying by his head as he made his way close to the mercenary. He saw that this man was less muscular than the one they encountered in the ballroom, but he still looked to be of an athletic build. He was dressed in a similar fashion as the mercenary they ran into earlier and Jack assumed that he was just as heavily armed. He knew that he had to proceed with caution.

As he fired off his last round from the small black handgun, Jack - just a foot away from him - spun his staff, hearing the bullet ricocheting off the steel weapon. He brought it back, aiming it at the man's head in a wide arc.

The man blocked the attack with his forearm and threw away his spent firearm. He pulled out another gun from the holster strapped to his waist and aimed it at Jack, who barely had time to react.

He briefly saw the gun being raised to his head and the man's finger moving towards the trigger.

"Jack!" Anna cried out as she witnessed the scene unfolding before her.

Jack widened his eyes as he stared down the barrel of the gun. The loud sound of a single gunshot reverberated throughout the air.

* * *

Elsa heard it.

It seemed as though all the gunshots she was hearing was echoing everywhere throughout the mansion, never allowing her to precisely pinpoint the origin. She stopped briefly near the kitchen, closing in on the parlor.

She wondered if Jack was okay, as well as Flynn.

Her red lips were tightly pressed together in worry for the two men. Again, she shook the thoughts out of her head. She had to believe that Jack and Flynn could take care of themselves. Worrying about them was useless at this point because her top priority was to make sure Anna and Rapunzel were alright.

As the blond approached the front entrance hall area, she let out a soft gasp at the sound of one loud gunshot.

"Jack!" she could hear her little sister cry out.

Elsa's breath stilled, frozen in her throat as she rushed out.

She feared the worst.

* * *

Blood dripped onto the polished marble floors, dirtying them.

Anna, along with Hans and Rapunzel, watched in horror, unsure of what the outcome was with Jack and the single mercenary. The red head shivered when she saw specks of red coloring the ends of Jack's pure white bangs.

"Jack..." she whispered worriedly as she saw blood dripping down one side of his face.

"Oh?" the mercenary said, smirking as Jack tightly held onto his wrist. "You're pretty quick on reflexes. Just fast enough to grab my arm to redirect what could have been a fatal shot to your head. I'm impressed."

Jack's grip on the man's wrist tightened, knowing that if he let go, the man could very easily fire off another bullet at him. He clenched his teeth, feeling warm blood pour from his superficial head wound. The bullet barely missed drilling into his skull, but it did leave a sizable scratch on his forehead. It hurt and his head was starting to spin, but Jack fought through it.

He mustered up his strength and delivered a kick to the man's torso, sending him backwards. Jack tried to pry the gun away from the man's hand as he fell back, but failed to do so.

The man landed on the floor and growled as he aimed the gun up at Jack. He fired off a round, which barely missed the bodyguard.

As Jack approached him with his staff raised, he was stopped by a single female voice entering the scene.

"Stop right there, bodyguard."

Jack looked up the double staircase for the source of the voice, only to see a masked figure slowly descending down the steps. They had a gun pointed at him, preventing him from advancing any further. It was the fifth mercenary member of this team.

He cursed silently, stepping back. He had forgotten about the fifth member and he scolded himself for forgetting about such an important detail so quickly.

"Drop your weapon - _now_ ," the masked figure demanded.

Seeing as how he was cornered with no other choice, Jack clenched his teeth and did as he was told. The metal staff clattered as it fell to the floor, immediately minimizing from the loss of contact from Jack's hand. He kept his eyes steadily on the masked figure, even though he spotted movement in his peripheral vision. The man that was lying on his back had now gotten back up on his feet.

"Down on your knees," she ordered him, stepping down from the last step on the staircase.

Jack heard the click of a gun beside him and saw the man that he had fought with just now was also aiming his gun towards him. He narrowed his blue eyes in irritation, hating the feeling of being forced into a corner.

"Didn't you hear me?" the woman asked, "I said - _down on your knees_."

Defiantly, Jack stood his ground, staring down the masked woman. The mask she wore looked like a grinning joker - taunting him that he was rendered helpless. It unnerved Jack slightly since he was unable to read this person's facial expression, due to the mask, and body language, due to the black cloak she wore. It was hard to ascertain her movements and what she was thinking.

She spoke once more, her voice threatening. "Not going to listen?" Without warning, she fired off a shot that barely flew past Jack's head. The bullet grazed his cheek, cutting his skin before flying past and embedding itself into the front door. "Hm," she responded curtly, impressed with how Jack remained still. "Not intimidated huh - ?" She stopped abruptly when she spotted movement in the lounge.

"Eugene!" Rapunzel exclaimed, happy to see that her fiance was still okay. The young man was grinning victoriously as he held a pair of twin swords in his hands, one having the slightest tinge of brownish red blood on them. Jack recognized the swords to be from the ones mounted on the wall in the lounge.

Flynn smirked when he saw the male mercenary's facial expression drop at the sight of the blood on the swords. "Don't worry, your buddy's fine. Although I'm not sure how he'll be able to walk out of here on his own after this."

The masked figure quirked her head over to Flynn briefly. "Get him," she ordered her male comrade. She set her sights on Jack again and whispered, "this one's mine."

* * *

Elsa remained hidden when she realized how dangerous the situation was. She was tempted to come out and help Jack when she realized that he was bleeding profusely from the head, but she saw that he was handling it. Now, she witnessed both Jack and Flynn fighting off the last two mercenaries, distracting them to the point where she could possibly get into the parlor to free Anna and everyone else.

She bit her bottom lip, peering out from behind the wall to see when she could sneak past.

When she saw Jack leading the female mercenary away from the parlor entrance, Elsa saw the opportunity before her and seized it. She dashed out from behind the corner, gun in hand, and made a break for the parlor. With Flynn and Jack distracting the mercenaries, Elsa go into the parlor safely.

"Elsa!" Anna exclaimed in an excited whisper. She beamed at the sight of her older sister, unharmed.

"Thank goodness!" Elsa embraced her sister tightly, letting out a happy sigh of relief. "I'm so glad you're safe." She quickly went down to untie Anna's hands. Once she was freed, Elsa went over to Rapunzel to work on her bindings.

"God, I thought they got you too," the brunette woman said as Elsa untied her wrists. She sighed happily when the painful restraints were finally removed. "They kept saying that they were going to kill you!" Rapunzel exclaimed, rubbing her sore wrists.

"I know," Elsa replied back solemnly. She was still truthfully scared, but she did her best to hide it in front of everyone else. Nervously, she looked over at Anna, who was working on freeing Hans - then back at the remaining mercenaries, who were occupied with Flynn and Jack. "We have to get to safety - all of us," the blond whispered, getting up and going over to one of the windows that overlooked the front lawn of the estate. She squinted, getting a good look at the rusty old latch that held the windows closed. Using some force, she tried to pry the latch apart.

"Here, let me try," Hans offered up. With just a few pulls, the rusty latch finally broke open, allowing them to escape through the window.

Elsa's attention diverted back over to Jack and Flynn when she heard the sound of glass shattering in the lounge area. She vaguely heard Anna calling out for her.

"Elsa! ...Elsa! What are you doing? Get out of there!" Anna said, desperately trying to coax her sister out of the window. She did not understand why Elsa had paused on the windowsill. "Elsa!" she called out again.

"Wait - !" Elsa felt her heart speed up as she was caught between a crossroads. She looked back towards where Flynn and Jack were, then back down at Anna and the rest of them. Even though it was obvious that she had to escape and take herself out of danger, she had a lingering feeling deep in the pit of her stomach that she had to stay behind - to help Jack. She had a feeling that he was in need of help. "I'm going to help, Jack!" she declared, immediately receiving a scolding from Anna.

"Are you crazy!?" the red head exclaimed, looking at her sister as if she had grown a second head. "You're - You're going to get yourself killed - !"

"I know, but...Jack could need me."

"Jack can take care of himself!" Anna stammered, trying to form the words needed to convince her sister to escape to safety. She saw her pull out her phone and toss it down to her. "What's this for?" she questioned, wondering what Elsa was even thinking.

"Call the police. I'm going to help Jack," Elsa announced.

"Elsa, wait - !" Before Anna could stop her, Elsa was already gone.

The blond ran back through the parlor and into the entrance hall. Panting, she saw Flynn still busy with handling the male mercenary.

He swung one of the swords out at the man, creating some distance between them. Flynn noticed Elsa and shouted at her, "what are you doing here!? I thought you left with Rapunzel and everyone else!" He fended off the man again, kicking him in the stomach, causing him to stagger.

"I wanted to help Jack! Where is he?"

"He was just here!" the brunette exclaimed, apparently surprised that his friend was no longer in the entrance hall with him. He clenched his teeth and focused on his fight with the male mercenary. He let out a yell as he made a stabbing motion with the swords, only to have the man dodge the attack by stepping back. Despite this, Flynn smirked when he saw that the man was forced into a corner, unable to move anywhere else.

"Gotcha," he said, kneeing the man in the abdomen - hard.

He gagged, coughing violently, but Flynn gave him very little time to recover as he brought a swift hand down to the base of the man's head. He fell to the floor unconscious, eliciting a relieved sigh from the brunette.

"God. Fencing classes never told us how to do this stuff." Flynn dropped the swords, grunting as he held a hand over the side of his waist. His face was scrunched up in pain.

Elsa's expression quickly grew worried as she rushed up to his side. "What's wrong?" She let out a soft gasp when she saw his hand coated in blood.

"That bastard managed to get a shot off at me earlier. I don't think it got anything vital, but - " His breathing grew labored as he stumbled, nearly falling over had it not been for Elsa supporting him. She saw that he had lost a lot of blood.

"Get outside. Anna called the police and paramedics. They should be here any minute now," she told him, guiding him over to the front door.

Flynn panted, a layer of sweat forming on his brow. His world felt as if it was spinning, due to the amount of blood he lost. What kept him from falling over earlier was the adrenaline, but now since it was wearing off, he was drifting in and out of consciousness. With some difficulty, he managed to make it out of the front door. Immediately, Rapunzel ran up to them, taking Elsa's place by wrapping Flynn's muscular arm around her small shoulders.

"Eugene!" Rapunzel cried, bringing him over to the grassy area to lay him down. She let his head rest in her lap, cradling it gently as she wept.

Anna and Hans worriedly looked at the couple, trying to aid them in the best way they can.

"Apply pressure to the wound until the paramedics get here!" Hans told them. Rapunzel tearfully took off her light purple cardigan and held it over the gunshot wound on Flynn's waist, doing as Hans told her. All the while, she continuously muttered to her fiance to stay awake - to keep his eyes open.

Elsa watched them and the fear that had been growing inside of her was now fully bloomed. She knew that Jack had suffered extensively injuries and she wondered if he was doing okay. Without saying a word to anyone, Elsa ran back inside the mansion, despite Anna's pleading cries for her to stay there with them. It was a hard decision, especially since her own life was on the line, but - she knew that Jack's life was also at stake and she knew that she would never be able to live with herself knowing that she did nothing to help him.

* * *

He was surprised with how skilled this woman was at combat.

Jack swung his staff and kicked at her, only to realize that he could not hit her at all. She was like water, fluid and flexible - untouchable. Even with the billowing cloak she wore, it seemed to have no effect on her ability to move around.

Sometime in the middle of their fight, he noticed that she was leading him away from the entrance hall, away from Flynn and everyone else - especially Elsa. He had spotted her sneaking into the parlor. In his mind, he was irritated that she had disobeyed his orders of staying in the cellar, but then again - he applauded her for taking such quick action and getting Anna and the rest of them out of harm's way. Jack was sure that this female mercenary he was fighting had seen Elsa as well, seeing as how astute and fine-tuned her senses were, but she seemed to pay no attention to the blond. Instead, it seemed as though she was only paying attention to him.

They were now entering the game room, towards the back of the mansion. He swung his staff at her head, only to have her bend over backwards to dodge the swing. Jack clenched his teeth and quickly spun on his heel, aiming a kick at her, only to have her dodge that as well. He began to wonder if her short stature was why she was so easily able to dodge all of his attacks.

Jack backed her up against the billiards table, thinking that he finally got her cornered. However, she flipped up onto the table and did several agile back flips before landing gracefully on the ground at the other end of the table. She stood there, motionless and almost as if she was waiting there for him to attack first. Jack glared at her, agitated. He felt as if she was just playing around with him - as if the whole thing had been turned into a game. Aside from him attacking, she barely did anything.

Letting out a soft growl, Jack marched over to her angrily. He launched the first attack, bringing back his arm to punch at her.

His eyes widened in shock when she dodged it with just a simple sidestep and took his arm in her hands. He felt her pull him around forcefully, then jump up to deliver a strong kick to his stomach.

Jack coughed, stumbling backwards as he tried to catch his breath. At this point, he was not only amazed with her speed, but also her strength. Just what kind of woman was she?

He looked at the woman, growling in frustration again when he saw her just standing here, waiting for him to get back up. She was definitely just treating this as if it was a game - and he was her toy.

"Aren't you going to attack? I thought your whole purpose was to kill!" Jack said, trying to taunt her.

When she did not say a word again, he went on the offensive. He spun his staff sharply, releasing the last bit of liquid nitrogen left in his canisters. The chemical flew and made contact with the woman's billowing cloak. He saw that she was distracted with the vapor that was starting to gather around her and he used that as an opening to take control of the situation.

Jack went forth and aimed a side kick towards the woman's head. When he saw that he missed, he spun on his heel and used his other leg to deliver another kick, only to have that miss as well.

She dodged him as if it was nothing, despite the fact that Jack was a quick fighter in his own right.

He decided not to give her a chance to recover and quickly spun and jabbed at her with his staff, hoping to confuse and overwhelm her with a barrage of blows. As before, however, he could not land a single hit on her.

When he was visibly panting, worn out, that was when he noticed that she was starting to fight back. With one sharp kick, she kicked the staff out of his hand and sent it flying across the room. Jack clenched his teeth and glared at her as he aimed another kick at her, only to see that she had grabbed onto his ankle. Jack grunted at her vice-grip, wincing when she gave it a little twist. Pain shot through his body, but he ignored it as he jumped up with his other foot to deliver a kick underneath her chin.

He felt her finally let go of his ankle in order to dodge his attack and he bent backwards, flipping himself over so that he could land on his feet. Jack winced again at the pain of putting his weight on his sprained ankle, but he had little time to dwell on it for he saw the woman rushing up to him.

She got in close to him, faster than he predicted. She pressed up her back to his chest and gave him a sharp jab with her elbow, causing him to stagger back, but she did not let him get away very far, for she immediately grabbed a hold of his arm and spun. She threw him over her shoulder, causing him to crash through the double doors that led from the game room to the indoor pool.

Jack landed on the ground, but he knew that he could not wait to catch his breath in order to attack her. Immediately after landing on his back, he flipped himself over so that he was on all fours and picked himself back up on his feet. Even though his sprained ankle was causing him a lot of pain, along with the bleeding head injury, Jack pushed himself past his limit.

He brought back his arm and punched at her, only to miss.

The female mercenary aimed a kick at him, which Jack quickly managed to counter by grabbing a hold of her slim leg. He swung her around, throwing her, but she simply flipped over once in the air, using the momentum he provided to perform the acrobatic feat. She landed on her feet smoothly and let Jack come to her again, dodging all of his attacks.

Jack aimed another punch at her, one final time. She took hold of his arm again and threw him over her shoulder with ease. He grunted loudly as he was slammed up against one of the walls, hitting his head roughly. Jack slumped down the wall, his eyelids fluttering open and closed for a while before succumbing to the darkness of unconsciousness.

The woman walked up to him casually as she drew a knife out from underneath her cloak. She grinned sadistically from behind her mask as she whispered in a sweetly soft voice, "you gave me a pretty good fight, bodyguard." She made a motion to plunge the knife deep into Jack's chest, but stopped when a loud gunshot rang throughout the indoor pool.

"Get away from him," a threatening voice growled out.

The masked woman looked over to the source of the voice and saw Elsa standing here with her gun drawn and pointed at her. Her blue eyes were narrowed into a sharp glare.

Elsa held the gun tightly in her hands, trying not to tremble, but that was easier said than done. She was terrified of what she was up against. A mysterious masked figure cloaked in black - it made her think of those childhood villains in the fairy tales her mother used to read to her. Not to mention, that figure was just seconds away from being able to plunge the knife into Jack's body to kill him.

She held her breath as the cloaked figure moved towards Jack. "I said get away!" she screamed, holding the gun tightly. "I'll shoot!" she threatened, but that threat seemed to fall on deaf ears.

The figure grabbed Jack by the collar of his white dress shirt and dragged him over to the side of the pool. Elsa shuddered, wondering what they were planning to do to him. She eyed the knife they held warily for a while, before looking back up at their masked face. As she made eye contact with them, they both heard the distant sound of police sirens approaching the house.

"...Can you swim?"

Elsa, taken aback by the sweet feminine voice, stammered, only to be caught off-guard when the woman casually threw Jack into the pool. "No - !"

"Better get him. I heard unconscious bodies can sink like a rock," they said to her as they ran off, escaping before the police arrived.

Elsa did not think twice as she tossed the gun aside. She dove into the pool, going after Jack. Elsa kicked and propelled herself as fast as she could to Jack's sinking body. The water felt icy cold, despite the pool being inside, but Elsa fought through it. When she finally reached him, she saw a bit of blood still leaking out from his head wound, but it was not enough to alarm her. Elsa gently wrapped her arms around him and mustered up all her strength to kick up to the surface. It was hard - especially since Jack was nearly twice her weight, but she knew that if she did not do this, he would die.

With one last kick, Elsa broke through the surface with a loud gasp. She held him against her and realized that he was not breathing. Before Elsa could swim over to the edge, a bright light blinded her briefly before she realized that it was a flashlight held by a policeman.

"Please!" she cried out, "please help him! He's not breathing!"

"Get the paramedics in here!" the policeman shouted, helping Elsa and Jack out of the pool.

Elsa sat there, shivering, trying to stay by Jack's side as the paramedics tried to resuscitate him. She bit down on her lip, nervous as one of the paramedics performed CPR on Jack. It was nerve-wracking to watch, especially when they were trying multiple times and Jack was not responding.

Finally -

Jack let out a weak cough, coughing out the pool water that had gotten in his lungs. He rolled over to his side and propped himself up with one arm, catching his breath.

"He's good! Let's get him on the bus!" the paramedic announced.

Elsa let out a relieved sigh, shuddering in happiness at the sight of Jack coming back to reality. She was helped up by the police officer that had found them. He was telling her something - about procedures and questioning, but she barely heard what he said. Elsa's attention was on Jack, who was being helped up to his feet by several paramedics. She let out another relieved sigh, a little smile on her face as she was led outside.

 _"Thank goodness..."_ she thought to herself.

It was finally over.

* * *

Jack held the thermal blanket around himself tightly as he sat at the back of the EMT truck, relishing the warmth that it provided him. For once, the biting winter air bothered him - especially since he was soaking wet.

"The cold bothering you?"

He raised his head and saw Elsa walking up to him, a little smile on her face. He eyed her wet clothes and despite the fact that she did have a thin blanket around her, he stuttered out, "a-aren't you cold?"

She let out a little snort, scoffing at him in response.

"A true Ice Queen," he commented.

"I'll take that as a compliment," Elsa said as she took a seat beside Jack.

"...Is - Is Flynn going to be okay? I saw him being carried away when I was coming out."

"Yeah, he'll be fine," the blond replied, smiling. "Rapunzel went with him to the hospital."

Jack glanced over at Elsa and muttered, "they're insisting that I go to the hospital too - to get checked out better."

Elsa rolled her eyes slightly and responded, "you're going Jack. No questions. I know you don't want to - "

"I'm fine," he insisted.

"You're going," she responded back flatly.

A thick silence fell between them after that - neither of them sure of what to say next. It was uncomfortable and awkward. Elsa played with her fingers for a while. She looked out at the house and saw various red and blue lights from the emergency response vehicles flashing against the windows and walls. It was nightfall, so the colors seemed more vibrant to her.

"Jack - I..."

"I'm sorry."

Elsa blinked at him, surprised that he was apologizing to her. "For what?" she questioned him, her blue eyes widening slightly.

Jack let out a soft sigh, hesitating on his next choice of words. He was not sure what to say to her honestly, but he knew that he had to be honest about whatever it is that he wanted to say to her. "I - uhm - I was rude...earlier," he mumbled, "I didn't want to say those things to you - but I was just confused and frustrated with how you were acting towards me. I should have worded it better...and probably thought things through before saying everything that I said," Jack looked away from her as he rambled on, occasionally stammering unintelligently at her - forming incoherent words.

She listened to his odd apology, eventually not really sure what he was going on about after a while.

"Remember when we were little, you always called me a - you know - a stupid dumb head or whatever? W - Well...I guess that applies in this case - "

Jack stopped when he felt Elsa turn his head towards her and plant a kiss on his lips. He stared at her, shocked, as she pulled away.

"It's 'stupid, big dummy', _dummy_ ," she told him, smiling. Elsa bit her bottom lip a little and she whispered out, "I haven't quite been fair with you either, Jack. Truth is...I'm scared that if I bring you in close to me, I'll only end up hurting you in the end. That's what I know in my head, but in my heart - I _do_ want you."

"Y - You...do?" Jack felt himself blush.

"I do." Elsa sighed, looking out towards the front steps of the mansion and letting her eyes rest on Anna and Hans, who were comforting each other with smiles and kisses. "I don't know what to do in a relationship honestly. I don't know what to do on dates. I'm stiff, cold, serious, and I can't express myself very well to other people. I'm not like Anna, you know."

Jack looked over to Anna and Hans, following Elsa's gaze. "Yeah, you're not," he replied, a little playfulness in his voice, "but you know...that's why you're _'Elsa'_ and not ' _Anna.'_ Why do you think I nicknamed you 'Ice Queen'?"

Elsa glared at him. "You know that's a bad term to call a girl, right?"

"I know what it means, _your highness_." Jack snickered when Elsa's glare intensified. "But...the way I think of an ice queen is she's beautiful and yes - it's hard to get through to her. You have to battle through her cold exterior and cool personality, but throughout the process of getting to know her...you realize that those are parts of her endearing traits. Then when you finally get to her heart, it's more than worth it." He smiled at her blushing face.

Elsa fiddled with her hands nervously, unable to say anything to the sweet words Jack had just said to her. She finally mustered up the courage to face him - to look into his sapphire blue eyes directly. "Do you really think it's worth it?" she asked him softly.

"Would I even be here telling you all this if I didn't think it was?" Jack smirked at her, prompting Elsa to roll her eyes at him. He laughed at her response, causing her to blush.

"You're so lame," she grumbled, but secretly happy that she heard those words from him. Elsa glanced at him, shyly at first, then parted her lips slightly as she leaned in close to him.

Instead of staring back at her in surprise or shock, Jack carefully lowered his eyes as the distance between them was slowly closing. He felt her breath upon his lips, prompting him to close his eyes, but keeping them open just barely so that he could still see her face.

Elsa brought her hand up to his shoulder and played with the wet locks of white hair at the nape of his neck, eliciting an involuntary shudder from him. She spoke softly, but clearly to him - her breath tickling his lips.

"This Ice Queen's answer is yes," she told him in a hushed whisper, before capturing his lips with hers.

Jack accepted her kiss gladly, moving his mouth in accordance to hers. He vaguely heard the sound of fireworks popping and booming in the distance, signalling that it was midnight and that the new year had officially begun, but he ignored it and it seemed like Elsa did as well.

* * *

"I'm sorry that I need to leave, Anna. But - my family...my father, actually, has been calling my cell non-stop since this evening," Hans sighed, tightly clutching at his girlfriend's petite hands. He seemed apologetic that he had to leave her on such a brief note.

"It's fine!" Anna exclaimed, smiling up at him warmly. "I'm sure your family's really worried about you."

Hans thanked her for understanding and leaned in to give her cheek a little kiss, causing the young girl to blush profusely. "How about I come over tomorrow to help pick out your new phone? I haven't forgotten about it, you know."

"I'd love that!" She giggled, elated that she had such a caring boyfriend.

"Alright then. See you tomorrow!"

"See you!"

Hans got into his car and gave the red head one last wave before slowly rolling out of the Winters' estate. He sighed, driving out of the driveway and onto the rural streets. He looked at the rearview mirror, seeing the lights from the emergency responders' vehicles slowly getting further away as he drove. A little gentle smile played upon his face at the thought of Anna -

"Oh Anna..." he remarked, slicking his hair back as his gentle smile slowly turned into a dark smirk. "You made getting close to the Winters much too easy."

He chuckled as he took out his phone and dialed a phone number. The phone rang throughout his car, being wired in with the hands-free speaker. Eventually, the phone on the line was picked up.

"So?" he asked, "you got away safely?"

A sweet feminine voice answered back with a little giggle. _"Of course. Do you doubt my abilities?"_

"Of course not. I know you're one of the best mercenaries that I've hired," Hans chuckled. "So...what is your assessment of her bodyguard?"

 _"What I've found out so far on him is that he's employed by one of the best bodyguard services in Burgess, graduated from Burgess University with a 3.0 GPA in chemical engineering - with grades like that, he could have found a job in that field...not to mention that it is a stretch for him to pursue such a difficult major just to be a bodyguard."_

"Something's amiss," Hans commented, driving into Southern Isles.

 _"I agree. But...I know that isn't your main focus."_ She paused. _"...You want to know how to break him."_

"Elsa's my main target, but to get to her - it seems like I will need to get rid of him first."

 _"Should I have killed him tonight?"_

"No," Hans pulled into the driveway of his family estate and turned off the engine to his car. He took his cell phone in his hands and held it up to his ear, continuing their conversation. "All I wanted was to test his abilities. I heard about what Edwin told me about this - Jack Frost, but that Edwin was a failure from the start. I wanted a more...professional opinion, from the likes of you. Lucky me, I got to witness Jack firsthand when I was captured in the parlor."

" _Hm."_ The woman on the other end of the line contemplatively hummed lightly for a while before speaking up once more. " _Well from the little charade you put together tonight, I did find out about his abilities as a bodyguard. They are far beyond what I had expected. He was definitely trained well and from an early age I bet. He held his own against me - although I did beat him in the end."_ She giggled lightly again.

"I saw him and Elsa kissing each other when I left just now. He's very protective of her - not just as a bodyguard, but as a lover as well," Hans laughed lightly, "it's quite interesting to witness. Killing him would be the easy part, but simply doing that wouldn't hurt Elsa to the extent that I want."

 _"What do you wish I do then?"_

"Do what you do best," he said, smirking, "to get to the queen and dethrone her, we need to break her sword and shield - make her guard dog and knight suffer and make him be the one that will eventually hurt her. You know what this entails?"

 _"I believe so."_

"Don't have too much fun when the time comes. Your boss has told me about your - _hobbies._ "

Hans heard her chillingly sweet laugh on the other end of the line. Her voice turned borderline sadistic as she answered him.

 _"Understood. I had fun playing with him today. I'm happy to play with him again."_

"Don't go overboard now," Hans said teasingly.

She let out a girlish giggle. _"It's not fun until the toy is broken."_


	14. Strength

**Marionette **

**Chapter 14 - Strength**

 _Warnings: Slight mature themes_

* * *

"Are you sure you're okay, honey?"

The brunette woman fearfully clutched at her chest with a loose fist, bunching up the soft fabric of her nightgown as she held her phone tightly against her ear. Her minty green eyes were focused on the ground in an worried gaze as she listened to her daughter's voice over the line.

"Okay. Take care of Eugene then - okay - you too honey. I love you."

From just outside the woman's bedroom doors, Toothiana stood by, intently listening to the phone conversation. When she heard the call concluding, she stepped away from the door and looked towards Bunnymund, who was standing at the front door to the hotel suite. She kept her pink eyes on him as she strode over.

"Well?" he asked as he closed the door behind them. The two stood in the middle of the hallway, choosing to talk there since they did not want to be heard by the ambassador or his wife.

Toothiana looked up at her taller colleague and knitted her brows together in worry. "She just got off the phone with Rapunzel. They said that she was staying with the Winters for the week." A long breath escaped her. "I was hoping that something wouldn't happen while we were all away."

"Lil' Frostbite can take care of himself." Bunnymund raised an eyebrow at the short green haired woman when she seemed embarrassed. "I _know_ you're worried about him, Tooth."

"I know, I know. I'm just worried because it sounded serious. Rapunzel's fiance ended up in the hospital..."

"Well, seeing as how the ambassador and his wife aren't catching the next flight out to Arendelle, I'd say that the situation has been dealt with for the time being." When Bunnymund still sensed Toothiana's immense worry, he placed his hand on her small shoulder, gently squeezing it. He lowered his voice slightly into a soft whisper and said, "he got more than enough training from all of us, Tooth. Don't worry. He has enough skills to deal with anything that comes his way."

Toothiana forced a smile at him as she gently touched his hand. She let out a short sigh and nodded in agreement. "I know," she repeated, trying to reassure herself. "I just can't help worrying about him." She let out a dry laugh as she shook her head. "I must sound silly, right? He's just a kid that we adopted, but I care about him as if he was my own."

The gray haired man stared at her for a while before muttering, "I don't think it's silly..."

"Really?" She giggled a little. "You of all people must think so since you don't seem to like Jack that much."

"Eh - " Bunnymund rolled his green eyes a little, crossing his arms over his chest and pouting his lip a little as he begrudgingly admitted, "the little bugger does get annoying with his snarky comments, but he ain't that bad. I can _tolerate_ him." He peeked over at Toothiana and his gaze softened up slightly. "...I know you love Jack more than any one of us can try to love him."

She visibly gulped, biting her bottom lip as she did so. She looked away from Bunnymund's eyes and down at the shiny gold bangles around her wrists.

The mood between them turned somber. The air felt heavy and he felt hesitant to speak up once more, worried that he had trampled upon a topic that was just too much for her to handle. However, before he could speak, Toothiana did so first.

She sensed the heavy mood and his wary behavior. "It's fine, Bunny." She feigned a smile as she held her arm. "I'm over it. I thought I was unwanted because of what _he_ said to me and what happened..." Toothiana let her gaze drop sadly as she gently placed her hand over her stomach. She rubbed her thumb back and forth over the velvety black fabric of her weskit in a slow motion.

Bunnymund noticed how pained her expression looked.

"...But it's okay because Manny and everyone else - even you - made me feel wanted." Her smile seemed to turn genuine as she looked up at him once more. Her pink eyes seemed slightly glossy with tears that could not fall out. She quickly shook her head, laughing once more as she tried to shake off the last of the melancholic mood surrounding her. "I guess I'll just do another sweep of this floor, make sure no one else is here."

As she began walking away from him, Bunnymund stared at her for a bit before calling out her name.

"Tooth - "

She stopped.

" - You told me you were going to name him 'Jack', right?"

She giggled lightly. "Yeah...it was one of the names I was considering - even though my ex wanted something else. He thought it was too plain, but I like the name regardless." Toothiana flashed him one last smile and a short farewell, before walking away.

Bunnymund watched her walk away. "...I think it's a good name. He would have liked it - your son," he told her, making her stop once more. He kept his eyes on her in a steady gaze until he saw her turn her head to look at him.

Politely, she nodded her head once and responded somberly - simply, "...I know."

* * *

Anna patiently waited in front of the hotel's main entrance, occasionally looking around for any sign of Hans' car pulling up onto the driveway. She was eager to meet him, especially since he suggested that today be the day that she go out with him to get a new phone for her.

With her lips flattening out to a slight look of discontent, she checked her watch and saw that it was almost 4 in the late afternoon. She had hoped that Hans did not oversleep since they did go to bed extremely late the previous day due to the events that had transpired. Anna knew that Elsa and Jack were still asleep, as there was no answer when she went to their room.

A lone sigh escaped her as she tilted her head back to look at the gold colored fabric of the canopy that she stood under. A cold gust of wind blew past her, bringing shivers throughout her body. The red head pursed her lips and held herself tightly as she elected to go inside the lobby to wait. However, just before she could, a black sedan pulled up in front of her and Hans emerged from the backseat.

"Anna!" he exclaimed, sounding apologetic as he hurriedly rushed over to her. "God, I'm so sorry for making you wait!" He quickly ushered her into the backseat of the sedan and slid in after her.

"I-It's okay," Anna stuttered, trying to warm herself up. She smiled at him, telling him that she was fine. Her attention was diverted to the driver of the car when she heard a sweet feminine voice telling them that they were departing.

Noticing Anna's curious gaze at the female driver, Hans piped up. "Oh, sorry Anna. This is actually my new bodyguard - _slash_ \- chaffeur - _slash_ "caretaker," I guess." He let out a scoffing chuckle. "My father insisted that I have her by my side after he found out about last night, even though I told him that I would be fine." Hans quickly introduced the two women. "Anna, this is Sera. Sera - Anna."

"Oh, I see!" The red head smiled broadly as she leaned over slightly towards the female bodyguard. "It's a pleasure to meet you!" she said, happily introducing herself.

The black haired woman looked at Anna through the rear view mirror and smiled beautifully. "Likewise, Miss Anna." Her voice sounded eloquent and very lady-like.

The car started to roll away from the hotel, beginning to descend down the streets towards the busy downtown area.

"I think it's good that your father assigned you a bodyguard," Anna commented. "At least you won't have to worry about things like what happened last night."

"True," he agreed, "what about you? I know you said that Jack is primarily Elsa's bodyguard."

Anna waved her hand and laughed. "Pfft - I can handle myself. Can't you tell?" She giggled at her own joke. "My father put more attention and pressure on Elsa since she would be the one to take over the corporation in his place. That's one of the reasons..."

"What's the other one? - if you don't mind me asking, of course."

Wistfully, Anna tightly held the leather handle of her dark green designer handbag. She looked down at her lap. "Actually, Elsa got kidnapped when she was very young, even before I was born. Mom and Dad tried to hide it from us, but once they passed away, Jack had no choice, but to inform us of it. No harm came to her at the time, according to him - probably because our parents paid the huge ransom amount, but they almost lost her for good that day." Anna quickly apologized for the somber mood she brought upon them.

"It's fine," Hans replied, seemingly worried and concerned over the ordeal that the two sisters had gone through so far. "I can't even imagine who would target you two so much. If it's only for the corporation, that's extremely cowardly, in my opinion." He wrapped his arms around the young girl, taking her in for a comforting hug.

"Thanks...but it's okay - Elsa has Jack and while I have no doubts that he can protect both of us...at least now I have you," she said happily, snuggling against her boyfriend, who returned her affectionate actions.

Hans lovingly nuzzled her cheek, as he did so, shooting off a brief glance at the rear view mirror to meet eyes with Sera. They locked eyes, his dark green ones with her dark gray ones.

"Yeah...I'm here," he responded, looking away from the rear view mirror and closing his eyes as he held Anna in his arms loosely.

* * *

A dim sunlight flooded through the room, a beam of it resting upon Elsa's peaceful sleeping expression. The light caused her to stir slightly, eventually waking up with a gentle flutter of her eyelids. As she slowly emerged from the warm embrace of the bundle of bed sheets she was wrapped up in, she felt someone staring at her, but she brushed it off.

Elsa grimaced, wiping away some drool from the corner of her mouth with the back of her hand as she propped herself up with her other arm.

"Very graceful, Ice Queen."

Her ears perked at the all-too familiar sarcastic voice and she whipped her head around over to the source of the sound. Her blue eyes narrowed into an annoyed glare at Jack, who was resting his arms and head on the edge of the large king sized bed. Her annoyance grew when all he did was grin in response. She was not really in the mood for his playful quips - but then again, she never was.

"Were you just watching me sleep?" she grumbled, looking down at him.

Jack briefly looked up at the ceiling as if he was deep in thought, then he shook his head. "Mmm, not really. I have better things to do with my time."

Elsa did not know if she was supposed to feel insulted with what he said, but when she saw a playful smirk spread across his face, she just went back to glaring at him.

"Creep."

"Hey - as a bodyguard, I kinda have to keep an eye on you all the time." Jack chuckled as he pushed himself up onto his feet. As he put pressure on his sprained ankle, he winced, the muscles of his face tensing up into a visible discomfort.

Concerned for him, Elsa furrowed her brow and peeled the bed sheets off of herself. She scooted over to him as he rested a hand on the edge of the bed, using it as a support as he tried to recover from the pain shooting through his body. "Do you want to lie down?" she asked.

Jack took a seat on the bed while quickly shaking his head. "I got enough rest. Don't worry."

"Didn't the doctor last night tell you to take it easy the next few days?" Elsa asked in a matter-of-fact tone. She crossed her arms over her chest and looked at him, displeased that he still was insisting that he could walk. "It's almost night time anyways. Maybe we should go back to sleep."

" _You_ can go back to sleep, but I'm perfectly fine - " Jack spoke too soon as he moved his torso to the side a little and pain shot through his body again, causing him to fall back onto the bed slightly.

"I told you!" Elsa exclaimed, helping him onto the bed. She let out an exasperated sigh at his stubbornness.

"It's not that bad," he continued to reassure her, even though Elsa was not buying any of it.

"I distinctly remember the doctor saying that you had a broken rib and a sprained ankle. If that doesn't warrant bed rest, I don't know what does." She ushered him onto the large bed, helping him up so that his head could lay comfortably on the soft plush pillows.

Jack wrinkled his brow and flattened his lips into a firm line, clearly agitated with how he was being confined to the bed. "I wanted to head over to the estate again - you know - to grab our belongings since the police told us that it would take about a week until they process the scene."

Elsa turned to look out the window, focusing on the quickly setting sun. "It's going to get dark soon anyways. We can go tomorrow in the morning," she told him, rolling her eyes soon after when she saw that he still looked dissatisfied. "It's fine. A few more hours won't kill us."

The white haired man curiously watched her as she slowly slid off the side of the bed to walk away. "Uh, where are you going?" he asked, propping himself up with his arm.

She raised an eyebrow at him, looking at him quizzically. "To go lie down on the couch?"

"Why? The bed's right here."

"You're kind of lying on it."

"...So?"

A bright red rush of blood spread up Elsa's long neck and over her pale cheeks. She tightly pursed her lips and indignantly shook her head. "No way! I'm fine sleeping on the couch!"

"Then I will," Jack responding, moving to get up. "There's no way I'd let you sleep on the couch - _ah_!" he hissed, holding his side in pain.

Elsa gasped and rushed over to him, telling him to lie back down. "Jeez, you shouldn't be moving around so much - !" She stopped speaking when Jack took hold of her lithe arm and smirked mischievously up at her.

"Just kidding," he whispered, a playful light in his frost blue eyes.

Another blush warmed up Elsa's cheeks as she attempted to pull her arm away from him. Her blue eyes were widened in a state of embarrassment as she yanked at her arm, unsuccessfully releasing herself from his grasp. "I can't believe you! You faked it just to play a trick and I'm here genuinely worried about your well-being!"

"Well, it actually does hurt," Jack mumbled, trying to look wounded and helpless in front of her to make her loosen up.

Elsa could tell that he was trying to make her less angry by seeming innocent and hurt. She wished that she could say that it was not working, but in actuality, it was. She pursed her lips, glaring down at him and trying to maintain her anger to show that she was serious about him playing around about his injuries, but it was hard - especially when he was giving her that sad, puppy-dog stare that he did whenever she was angry with him. It was one of her weaknesses and it annoyed her that Jack knew that it worked each and every time.

The tension in her face was slowly retreating. Elsa clicked her tongue softly as she looked away from him, a blush still prominent across her face. "I-If it does really hurt - "

"It does," Jack stated, earning another glare from the platinum blond.

Elsa clenched her fists and grumbled, "I'm still sleeping on the couch. You need a proper place to rest."

His hold around her arm tightened, but not so much that it was bringing her discomfort. "And you do too. You must still be tired after what happened."

"Yea, but I'm not the one with a sprained ankle and a broken rib," Elsa said, flattening her voice as she raised an eyebrow at him.

" _Elsa_ \- "

" _Jack_..."

She tried to pull her arm away, but he held on. Tiredly, Elsa asked him, "why are you so insistent?"

Jack raised an eyebrow at her and smirked slightly. "I thought you said 'yes'."

"H-Huh?" A blush covered Elsa's cheeks again as she slowly began to realize what he was talking about. She thought back to her confession the previous night and the heat in her face bloomed. Her sapphire blue eyes wide, Elsa shouted at him. "This is too fast! Sleeping in the same bed - !" She immediately tried to pull away from him, wildly waving her other arm in front of her in a vain attempt to ward him away.

Jack winced again, hissing in pain as he held his sides.

Elsa stopped flailing around and immediately furrowed her brow in concern once more as she stood over him. "Jack - ? ... _Hey_!" She let out a sharp yelp as she was pulled down into his arms and fluidly rolled over so that she lay beside Jack on the bed. Face wild with a red blush, Elsa stammered and protested against him, flustered with their compromising position on the bed.

"You were faking it again!? What exactly do you think you're doing!?" she sharply scolded him, attempting to wiggle out from his tight embrace. She froze when she felt Jack gently press his lips to the back of her neck. Involuntarily, Elsa shivered at the foreign sensation she felt.

"Don't worry..." he muttered, moving his body so that they could lie side-by-side perfectly. Jack smiled against her pale skin and closed his eyes. "I won't do anything to you. I just wanted to sleep with you - _just_ sleep," he explained just so that Elsa would not get the wrong idea. "We used to do this when we were younger, remember?"

The platinum blond lowered her eyelids slightly, remembering those moments that Jack was talking about. Whenever she felt scared to sleep alone in her large bedroom or whenever she woke up in the middle of the night from a nightmare, she would seek out Jack rather than her parents or Anna. She would hurry over to his bedroom and knock on the door, many times nervously darting her eyes up and down the dark hallway until he answered the door. He always opened up the door for her.

She remembered that she would ask him in a soft voice, "can I sleep with you tonight, Jack?" And he would always let her, no matter how tired he was or even if she got angry with him earlier in the day. He would never really ask any specifics, but once she laid down in bed beside him, he would always ask her, "do you feel scared still?" And she would answer back with a 'no.'

Elsa could still remember just how safe she felt by lying beside him, feeling as if nothing could ever harm her. The fear she had would disappear and she would be relaxed enough to fall back to sleep again.

Even in the present time, Elsa felt her eyes growing heavy with sleep, despite the fact that she had just woken up from an extremely long slumber. She felt peaceful in his arms, even though she felt nervous at the same time.

"...I can feel your heart beating," Jack commented, chuckling softly as he nuzzled the nape of her neck and taking in the sweet, peachy scent of her hair.

Elsa blushed harder as she grumbled, "can you stop being so embarrassing?" She trembled when she heard his low chuckle again, very much close to her ear. She liked the sound of his voice.

"You're just so nervous."

"Of course I am!" she retorted sharply. "You say that it's the same as when we were kids, but it's _clearly_ not..."

"Hm -" Jack slightly tightened his arms around her small figure and murmured, "that's right...since you pretty much confessed to me, that makes us a couple now, right?"

She was glad that she was lying on the bed with her back turned towards him because she could feel her face turn at least several different shades of red at the mere sound of the word 'couple.' It felt so foreign to her, especially with how inexperienced she was when it came to these sort of things and especially because it was Jack. His role in her life always seemed to bounce around between bodyguard to her closest friend to romantic love interest. It always served to confuse Elsa as she tried to sort out her real feelings for him, but she was starting to realize that he was all of those to her.

And that was perfectly fine.

"A _couple_..." she whispered, testing the word on her tongue. She half-expected Jack to say something witty or sarcastic back, but all she heard was the sound of his even breaths, signalling that he was already fast asleep.

Elsa closed her eyes, slowly drifting off to sleep as well and thinking to herself that perhaps she could very well get used to the word sooner than she thought.

* * *

"Thank you so much, Hans." Anna beamed at the handsome man, clutching her the new cell phone he had purchased for her, tightly in her hands. They stood at the front of the luxurious hotel, unwilling to part with one another.

"It's the least I could do," he answered modestly. He looked back at his car, Anna also doing the same and the two made eye contact with Sera, who was standing by the shiny sedan and patiently waiting for Hans to say his goodbyes. Hans chuckled as he turned back to look at Anna. "I should probably head back. My father might have another fit if I come home late again."

Anna giggled. "Probably." Shyly, she moved in close to him, resting both of her small hands on his broad chest. She smiled slightly, leaning up to give him a kiss, only to have Hans move in first and plant a sweet kiss on her round cheek. The red head blinked her ocean blue eyes, slightly confused at his sudden action of deflecting her kiss.

Hans seemed to pay no attention to her shock expression and instead responded back with an innocent smile. "You should go get some more rest."

"Uh...r-right." Anna tried her best to muster up a smile, trying to show that everything was fine. "You too!" she cheerfully offered up, feigning the positive emotion in order to hide the growing pain inside of her.

It was an awkward parting for the young girl as she stood there, keeping a smile on her face as she saw Hans off. She waved as his car slowly drove away from the hotel, the hand slowly dropping to her side as soon as the car disappeared from view. Along with it, her smile dropped as well. Her once radiant blue eyes were dull and lifeless as she thought about Hans' actions just now. She knew that she probably should not think too much of it since he was still very sweet and respectful with her, but -

Anna looked back into the hotel lobby through the transparent glass doors, not really wanting to go back up to her room and she knew that Elsa was probably still asleep.

She held onto her new phone tightly and decided to take a short walk around the block, just to clear her head and get rid of the worry and uncertainty that was building up inside of her. Her fuzzy winter boots shuffled as she halfheartedly walked down the street. The nightlife in the downtown area was still lively, despite the fact that it was late in the night. Anna walked past multiple bars and clubs - certainly no place for a young 15 year old like her - so she kept walking aimlessly. No real destination was in mind because all Anna wanted to do was get rid of the doubts and fears that she was starting to have for Hans.

It was not until a few minutes later that she passed by what looked like a quaint little cafe. Inside, people were either idly chatting with each other, tapping away at their laptops, or immersed in an epic novel. Anna peered in through the large glass window, which was adorned with white and green vine patterns. She walked over to the front door, which had the cafe's name printed in an elegant font - ' _Vineyard_.'

She stood at the entrance for a while, hesitating, before finally deciding to go in.

The inside was decorated as if it was an outdoor winery that looked like it was straight out of an old European painting. Anna was briefly amazed at the elegant decor and the ability to turn an indoor cafe to look like an outdoor one. The scent of a mild coffee scent hit her as she stood at the door, awaiting to be seated. It smelled heavenly and it seemed to instantly soothe her.

"Hello," a tall, beautiful waitress greeted her with a toothy smile. "Just by yourself?"

"Yes."

"Right this way please."

Anna was seated near the dimly lit bar, where all the drinks were being prepared. She saw all the baristas and bartenders busily creating drinks that looked like pieces of art.

"Would you like anything to start off?"

The red head kept her eyes on the bar and saw a large latte being served in a wide mug with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top of it. She pointed at it and asked, "could I have that please?"

"Certainly."

As the waitress sauntered away, Anna kept her eyes glued on the bar, finding it somewhat exciting to see the different drinks that were being prepared and the skillful baristas and bartenders putting on an appealing show as they showed off to no one in particular, but themselves. She felt herself smiling a little at one of the baristas in particular - the one with messy blond hair, broad shoulders, and an athletic build. He laughed with his coworkers as he expertly prepared pretty lattes, pouring on the cream with just the slight of hand to create cute art. Anna thought he hardly looked like the guy that would have fun working in a cafe - rather, she pictured him having fun at sports rallies or doing manual labor. However, she assumed that this conflict between his physical appearance and his behavior was what made him so interesting to watch.

He produced a large latte with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and slid it onto the bar for the waitress to take. As he did so, he briefly looked up and made eye contact with her.

Anna barely even realized that he did and continued staring, even as the waitress brought her drink over to her. She noticed one of his coworkers come up beside him and shoot glances at her while grinning. It seemed as though he was teasing the blond man, soon receiving a light punch on the arm from him. The blond waved his hand at him, telling him to get back to work. As he wiped down the bar before going back to making more drinks, he looked at Anna again and gave her a little smile, causing her to blush slightly.

Embarrassed that she finally realized just how long she was staring at him, Anna quickly took hold of her large mug and sipped at the sweet drink, trying to hide her face even though the blond barista was no longer looking at her. She shyly glanced up at him again, before looking back down at her latte. She took another drink.

Anna knew that she should not look at other guys since she already had Hans, but she felt drawn to this nameless barista. Perhaps not physically because he certainly was not the type of guy she preferred - which was those that looked like a storybook prince like Hans - but something about this one made her want to know more about him. She did not quite know what it is about him that drew her, but he certainly could make one delicious cup of coffee, that's for sure.

Mentally, she made a note to stop by again tomorrow. The latte was especially good.

* * *

"God, Eugene - would you stop it?"

"What?"

Rapunzel looked over at Elsa and Jack, who ended up visiting the hospital to make sure that Flynn was doing okay and to wish him well with his recovery. They came with positive vibes and high spirits, knowing that it would help lift Flynn's morale. His fiance however, did not seem so pleased with him at the moment.

She glared at him and then back at Elsa and Jack. "He keeps pretending he's hurt and making me all worried over him, but then I find out he's just doing these things for fun!"

"Tell me about it," Elsa rolled her eyes and looked over at Jack, who quickly looked away, as if he did not hear her.

Rapunzel let out a disgusted scoff, crossing her arms over her chest. "You too?" She glared at Jack, then back at Flynn, who flinched under her deadly gaze. "You rubbed off on him!"

"Did not!" the brunette man protested strongly. He attempted to calm her down. "Come on, babe. You know I'm just kidding around."

"I'm worried you might die and you're joking around about it!"

Flynn chuckled. "It's going to take more than a little bullet to kill me. Besides - " He reached over to grab the small plastic container that held the bullet that was extracted from him abdomen. He rattled it around, much to Rapunzel's chagrin. "They took it out - "

"Don't shake it around! The police said they'll pick it up soon! Do you want to destroy the evidence!?"

As the couple continued their bickering, Elsa and Jack watched from the sidelines, both of them sighing tiredly at the two. Despite their fighting, they most certainly were meant for each other. Elsa could not think of anyone else that would suit either of them.

Jack turned to the platinum blond and asked, "maybe we should leave these two alone? It's getting late anyways."

"Sure." Elsa turned to Rapunzel, who was still going off on Flynn. She interrupted them briefly, stating that they were going to leave.

"Huh, already - ?" The brunette stopped herself and looked over at the wall clock and saw that it was almost 8 pm. She blinked as her eyes widened. "Woah, didn't think it was that late - sorry."

"It's okay," Elsa replied, lightly waving her hand. She smiled at her friend, going up to give her a tight hug. As she pulled away, she told both her and Flynn, "I'm sorry about what happened..."

"What?" Rapunzel asked incredulously. Her minty green eyes widened at her friend. "You can't be at blame for what happened. It was uncontrollable."

"I know," she muttered, "but they targeted me and you guys got caught in the crossfire. I can't help, but feel a little bit guilty."

Flynn sat up slightly on the hospital bed. "Seriously? Don't worry about it." He lightly chuckled. "Now if one of us died then - _ow_!" he yelped when he earned a slap on the shoulder from his fiance.

Rapunzel rolled her eyes and shook her head at him. "Always so cynical..." She focused her attention back on Elsa and smiled warmly. "Don't worry about us. Eugene will get discharged from the hospital by tomorrow and we'll join you guys at the hotel until our flight back to my parents."

"Okay," Elsa returned the smile and gave her friend's hands one last squeeze before leaving with Jack, who said his goodbyes to the almost married couple.

Flynn insisted that Jack and him do their "special handshake" as a last parting, but Rapunzel quickly intervened, saying that she refused to be embarrassed in the hospital. With that, Jack and Elsa left the room quickly before Rapunzel and Flynn broke out into another argument.

"Hm," Jack let out a little amused laugh through his nose.

Elsa picked up on it and questionably looked up at him as they made their way to the elevators. "What?"

"Nothing. I just think it's funny that they can fight so much, but still love each other the same as before." He pushed the button for the elevator and turned to Elsa as they waited. "Isn't it interesting? They have such clashing personalities - with him being all cynical and her being optimistic and carefree - and yet they still make it work."

She looked at him for a bit before the soft 'ping' of the elevator interrupted them. They both stepped into the small, enclosed space and waited until the doors slid closed smoothly. Elsa looked up at the floor numbers changing on the digital display before them as the elevator descended downwards. "Why would you mention it all of a sudden? We've known them for a while now."

Jack sighed a little as he leaned back against the wall. He smiled as he watched the floor numbers with her. "I don't know...maybe because it kind of reminds me of us."

Elsa widened her eyes slightly and looked over at him, silently inquiring as to what he was getting at. "You think our personalities clash?"

"You're pretty uptight - "

"Thanks," she responded in a monotone voice, feeling slightly insulted.

"It's true," he said, shrugging, ignoring the irritated look that he was being given by her. "It's not a bad thing. You're also calm, collected, and elegant."

She dropped her gaze, secretly flattered with how he described her. "I-I suppose..." Elsa turned to look at him. "And you think this makes me a good match with you?"

"I think I can loosen you up - you know, let you have fun once in a while." He flashed her a toothy, playful grin.

Elsa wrinkled her brow at him just as the elevator arrived at the lobby floor. The doors opened up and she told him, "I can have fun by myself!"

Jack rolled his blue eyes and responded, "reading your business textbooks and organizing your file cabinet is hardly what I consider 'fun'."

"It's relaxing!"

" _Suuuure_." He snickered at her sour expression as he took out his car keys and spun them once over around his index finger. "So, Ice Queen, what did you want for dinner?"

"Isn't it kind of late?"

Jack shrugged. "I don't think so."

"Most places are closing."

He stopped spinning the car keys around his finger and looked at her with a disgruntled stare. "You're such a downer tonight."

"I'm just being truthful..." Elsa mumbled, following him out to the parking lot.

Jack let out a tired sigh and spun his car keys again. He buried his other hand into the pocket of his black dress pants and quirked one side of his mouth to the side as if he was deep in thought. "How about Chinese takeout?" he suggested.

Elsa grimaced at the thought. "That's _so_ unhealthy - especially at this hour."

"Why? Are you on a diet or something?"

"Well, no, but -"

"Then it's fine," Jack immediately answered for her, grinning as he did a light jog up to his car.

Elsa followed him at her own pace, sighing at his behavior. He seemed much more playful and childish ever since she told him that she liked him back. It was pretty predictable that he would act in such a way, since Elsa was sure that he was elated that she returned the feelings he held for her. She did not complain though.

It was like Jack said - they had clashing personalities, but in a good way. Elsa did think that it would be pretty boring to have a male version of her around since both of them would most likely be quiet and impassive. At least with Jack, he knew how to liven up the mood and bring up her spirits.

They got into his car and as he drove it out of the hospital parking lot, Jack spoke to her animatedly about the takeout - believe it or not. Elsa did not really pay attention to the specifics, but she did think that only Jack would probably be able to talk about such a mundane topic and make it sound so interesting. She watched him, silently listening and making note of how many times his hands came off the steering wheel as he spoke. Elsa noticed his facial expression - lips curled up in a constant grin or handsome smile and his eyes twinkling with a sort of bright charm.

"So then - " Jack stopped talking when he heard a soft stifled giggle from the young woman. Curiously, he blinked at her and asked, "what's wrong?"

Elsa held a loose fist over her mouth as her giggling grew. She looked over at him through the corner of her eyes. Her cheeks were a rosy pink as her laughing intensified. When she tucked a loose lock of blond hair behind her ear, Jack felt a soft blush color itself across his face. He felt his entire body go weak just from the sight of her giggling and laughing - she looked beautiful.

"S-Sorry," she eventually managed to stutter. Willing herself to calm down, Elsa elaborated, "you're like a little kid."

The blush on Jack's face grew hotter as he kept his eyes on the road. "W-What does that mean...?" he grumbled.

"Are you really happy right now?...With what I said a two nights ago?" she asked.

"Well - yeah," he admitted in a soft mumble. Jack scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "Who wouldn't be? The person I like said they like me back. Of course I'm happy."

Not expecting such a straightforward answer, Elsa looked away just as a blush of her own starting spreading across her face. "...Oh," was what she could only say in response. They remained silent for the entire ride, with Jack ceasing his "exciting" talk about Chinese takeout.

It was not until they pulled up into the hotel driveway that Elsa asked, "what are we doing here? I thought you wanted dinner."

"I'll bring it up," he told her, "it's just down the block, but it's not exactly in the safest locales. I wouldn't feel safe taking you there, even if you wait in the car. You got the room key, right? Just go up and rest for a bit." He reached out to gently cup her cheek, causing Elsa's heart to speed up. She leaned her head slightly into his hand, liking the way they felt against her skin. Her blue eyes stared at him for a while in a half-lidded gaze, silently wondering - wishing - if he would kiss her.

Instead, Jack pulled away and cleared his throat quickly.

"Just wait for me in the room," he told her, abruptly. "I'll be up there soon."

"Y-Yeah, sure," Elsa stammered, hastily getting out of the car. She shut the door behind her and held onto the straps of her handbag tightly as she saw him off. As soon as Jack's car disappeared from view, she turned to walk inside the hotel, only to stop when she heard a voice behind her.

"Oh? Could that be Elsa Winters?"

Her entire being froze. Every muscle and tendon refused to move as she heard the unwanted, familiar voice. Her blue eyes widened in pure fear as she wanted to turn her head over to the source of the voice - silently wishing that she did not have to at the same time.

"Fancy running into you here." A lone chuckle followed.

Elsa turned her head and her heart sped up to the point where it felt like it would burst through her chest. Her mouth dried up and her stomach churned at the sight of no one other than Edwin. She stood rooted to the spot, shivering involuntarily even though her head screamed at her to stop doing so.

 _'Stop looking so vulnerable in front of him!'_ she told herself.

She clenched her fists as he approached her. He had another woman that was practically draped over him, clinging to him all the while shooting nasty glares over to Elsa.

"Who's she?" the woman asked in a snide tone, eyeing Elsa up and down as if she was competition.

"Oh - just another girl that tried to hook up with me," Edwin sneered, leering at the platinum blond.

Elsa wanted to scream at him, call him all sorts of names and give him a nice punch in the face if she could - but she could not. She found out that she could not do anything. Her mind was telling her to do all these things and more, but her body could not move. Even her lips were frozen in a slightly parted, shocked expression, unable to form words.

The brunette man smirked as she reached out to cup Elsa's cheek. She let out a frightened gasp, but again, was unable to physically move from the spot. His touch repulsed her greatly. She tasted the sourness of bile in the back of her throat, but she could not even retch.

Edwin eyed her up and down, a dark smirk painting itself across his face.

Elsa noticed that he smelled strongly of alcohol as he touched her cheek. She hated it so much.

"Aren't you happy that I made bail, Elsa?" he laughed softly, running his hand over her face and causing her to flinch.

She shivered and looked away, clenching her teeth and wishing that she was anywhere, but here.

"What's wrong? Aren't you happy at all to see me?" Edwin cooed, rubbing his thumb over the smooth plains of his skin. When he saw the immense fear in her eyes, he let out a sort of cackle, apparently pleased with the reaction she was giving him.

"Hun, stop playing around with this girl. I'm lonely too," the woman clinging to Edwin said in a whining tone of voice. She planted a sloppy kiss on his neck and slurred her words slightly, showing that she was pretty intoxicated.

Edwin finally took his hand off of Elsa and gave her one last smirk. "See you around, Elsa," he said in a sing-song voice before going into the hotel behind them.

It was as if a heaviness was lifted off of Elsa's shoulders the minute he disappeared into the hotel lobby. She did not dare look towards him as fear still gripped her heart tightly. Elsa fought back the urge to throw up and instead, swallowed harshly - trying to get a control over herself. She hated herself for not saying anything or doing anything. He was right there - right in front of her. She could have very well reached out, grabbed a fistful of his hair, and slammed his smug face into the pavement, but she did not.

Elsa drew out a harsh breath, squeezing her eyes shut as she held herself. She felt so vulnerable and weak in the present time. Those negative emotions swirled around her head like a violent maelstrom that showed no signs of quelling. The pleasant emotions and thoughts that she experienced with Jack just a few moments ago were quickly chased away. So quick that she could not even really remember what happened that made her laugh and smile so much.

She slowly picked up her feet and made her way into the hotel, walking like a zombie towards the elevators - her mind numb from the fear she felt.

* * *

Jack whistled a slight tune as he walked towards the hotel from the parking lot. In one hand, he had the bag that held the Chinese takeout and in the other hand, he spun his car keys like he usually does. As he made his way inside the luxury hotel and towards the elevators, he quietly muttered to himself, "wonder if she'd even like what I got her...I forgot to ask beforehand." He sighed, shrugging. "Ah, well."

He got onto the elevator and pushed the top floor button. As he rode his way up, he took out his black phone and called Elsa, wanting to tell her that he would be at the room very soon.

When he arrived at the suite level, he raised an eyebrow at the continuously ringing sound on the other end of the line. He began to wonder why she was not picking up.

"...In the shower?" he muttered, walking down the hallway and towards the room. Fortunately for him, he had his own key card on him, so he did not have to be stuck out in the hallway until Elsa opened the door for him. Still - Jack wished that she would pick up her phone. It was part of a little security procedure that he had set up between them, just in case someone managed to track down Elsa to this hotel and wanted to break into her room.

Jack held the key card up to the electronic lock and it beeped softly, flashing a green light and granting him access inside. He curiously and slowly opened up the door, whispering her name. "Elsa...?"

The room was unusually dark. None of the lamps were lit, but Jack could hear someone in the bathroom - the soft hum of the fan giving it away.

He set the food down on the work desk in the living area of the suite and went into the bedroom, searching for the blond. Jack did not really sense anything ominous so, he had his guard down, but something did strike him as odd.

When he reached the bathroom, he saw a thin ray of light come from underneath the door. He carefully leaned against the closed door and knocked softly, "Elsa?" he whispered gently. "Are you okay?"

He heard a soft gasp from inside, as if she was startled. Then after a while, the door slowly opened up. When her face was revealed, he immediately noticed the amount of distress that was visible physically. Jack wrinkled his brow in concern and asked, "Elsa? What's wrong? Did something happen - ?"

"N-No," she whispered weakly. Her voice sounded hollow and she appeared sickly pale. Elsa brushed past him, coughing a little as she wiped her mouth with the back of her hand.

Jack followed her as she went around the bed. He noticed her trembling, hugging her bare arms as she stood there in her sleepwear. The room did not feel cold, so Jack knew that she was trembling for another reason - _fear._

"Elsa..."

"I'm sorry about making you go buy dinner. I don't really feel hungry..." She shook her head slightly.

He stepped towards her, worried about the sudden change in her mood and behavior. Jack reached out for her, touching her shoulder gently, only to be met with a violent retaliation.

Elsa drew in a sharp breath and panic filled her head. "Don't touch me!" she suddenly screamed, hitting his arm away as she wildly spun around to face him. Her eyes were widened in terror as she stared at him. The trembling grew worse as she held herself tightly while backing away from him. The back of her legs hit the edge of the nightstand and she let out a soft gasp.

Jack simply stood there, his own eyes wide with shock because of her erratic behavior. He was confused and slightly hurt that she displayed such violence towards him and without a reason as well. "Elsa," he whispered, a slight pain laced in his voice. For a brief moment, Jack noticed how she was looking at him - _as if he was a monster._

She came to a slow realization at just who she had hit away and the fearful anger that she held slowly dissipated. Elsa's breathing calmed down somewhat, no longer breathing heavily ragged breaths with her shoulders heaving up and down. Her eyes relaxed from the wild emotion that she had earlier as she stared more at Jack, who only seemed genuinely concerned for her well-being. "J...ack..." she breathed out, tearing her eyes away from him. Annoyed with how she was acting, Elsa clutched at the bed sheets next to her. "I-I'm sorry," she apologized softly, regretting that she lashed out at him.

He simply stared at her for a while, still confused with the way she was acting. It was not until she told him that it all began to make sense.

She started off slow. "E-Edwin...I saw him - here."

Jack stilled. "...What?"

"He came up to me as soon as you left. He - He talked to me and touched me so casually - !" Elsa held back tears, clenching her teeth as she tried her best not to cry. "I was so angry, but all I could do was nothing. He just laughed in my face and acted as if he was proud with what he done."

Jack felt a slight guilt for not being there for her, but it was quickly overcome with anger towards Edwin as he looked at Elsa fighting back tears. "...Where is he?" he whispered dangerously.

"I-I don't know - " Without another word, Jack strode out of the bedroom, only to have Elsa call out to him. "Jack! Where are you going -?"

"The front desk."

She realized what he was planning to do and Elsa quickly latched onto his arm, holding him back from the door. "They won't tell you what room he's in! Even if they do, you can't - !"

Jack whipped around to her and shouted, "why are you defending him!? He intimidated you and violated you - and you're just going to take it?"

"It's not like I have a choice!" Elsa cried out, tears spilling from her eyes as she confronted Jack. "I wish I could do something, but I'm still scared, Jack! I don't want to admit it, I _never_ want to admit it, but I'm still scared! The fact that he's able to roam around however he pleases even after doing all those things to me makes me _so_ angry, but when I saw him in person tonight - I just couldn't do anything! I was afraid he would hurt me again!" She broke down, shaking uncontrollably. "I hate myself so much for not being able to do anything this time either!"

She hiccuped and brought both hands up to her eyes, crying like a broken little child in front of Jack as he stared at her. He heard her anguished cries, loud and clear. It hurt him - a deep throbbing inside of his chest that did not cease. The person he loved was in pain and he felt as if he could not do anything for her to make her feel any better.

Jack clenched his hands into a tight fist before bringing her into a protective embrace. "Damn it," he whispered through his teeth. He felt frustrated with how he was unable to fix this - to fix her. He shut his eyes, painfully listening to her wrecked sobs as she cried against his shoulder.

Elsa willed herself to calm down to whisper out a wispy apology.

"I'm...s...sorry, Jack."

He furrowed his brow, reopening his eyes. "Why are you apologizing?"

"...I made you angry," she sniffled.

Jack looked down at the ground, gently rubbing circles into her back. He shook his head and whispered, "you really think I'm angry at you?"

"Y-Yeah," she sniffled. "...Because of how weak I am - because of how you have to take care of me all the time."

He let out a single sigh, running his hand over her loose blond hair as he rested his chin against her shoulder. Jack lowered his eyes solemnly and muttered, "I'm here to take care of you...it's my job - as your bodyguard _and_ as your partner. If I actually got angry over that then I wouldn't still be here with you like this."

Elsa sniffed, holding onto him tightly as she let her tears flow onto the fabric of his blazer. She felt her heart swell up at his touching statement.

"...I told you before," Jack whispered, running his fingers through her hair, "weaknesses isn't a bad thing. You just need to come to terms with it and use it to build up your strengths."

A wry chuckle escaped past Elsa's lips as she gently shook her head. "At this point, I don't know if I'll even have strengths."

" _At this point_ ," he repeated for her, "doesn't mean that you'll never be strong." Jack closed his eyes, comforting her with soothing touches. "You'll find your strength soon - until then, I will remain by your side."

Elsa felt the last of her tears run down her cheeks as she held him tighter. She began to question herself as to how she got so lucky to have someone like Jack enter her life and stay in it. "Even if I find my strength - will you still stay by my side?" Her hands clutched at his blazer, never wanting to let him go.

Jack chuckled, amused by her question. "What kind of knight would abandon his princess?"

She smiled through her tears, moving so that she could wrap her arms tightly around his neck. "Maybe a smart one."

"Then I must be pretty stupid," he said lightheartedly. "But - if it means that I can watch this princess grow into the strong, respectable queen she wants to be, then I think staying by her side would be more than worth it."

Jack heard her let out a soft laugh.

"Someday," she whispered, closing her eyes. "Soon - I promise you..."


	15. Possessive

**Marionette**

 **Chapter 15 - Possessive**

 _Warnings: Mild sexual themes_

* * *

Elsa continuously patted her neat hair bun, making sure that it was not loose. She drew out several loud exhales as she occasionally darted her eyes over to the wooden double doors that led inside the dreaded courtroom.

It was nerve-wracking, to say the least.

Hans' brother had told her all that she needed to know about the procedures and rules of the court. Despite being thoroughly prepared to deliver her testimony to the courtroom, as well as the possible questions Edwin's lawyer may ask her, Elsa still felt nervous.

"You okay?" Jack asked her, noticing her fidgety behavior. He sat beside her on the wooden bench just outside of the courtroom.

Elsa let out a soft, drawn out sigh. She closed her eyes briefly, seeming distressed. "Just a little worried..."

He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees and looking over at her face. "About Edwin? It's been a few days since you've last seen him, Elsa. Even if he's in there, he won't be able to say or do anything to you."

"I know - but it's not that." Elsa placed a hand over her thumping heart and muttered, "I just don't want to give him the satisfaction of winning over me."

Jack looked over at her pensively, then turned away to look at the nicely waxed floors beneath his feet. "You haven't even given your testimony yet, so how could you speak as if he's already won?"

Elsa pursed her lips, knowing that he was right. She knew that she was just thinking negatively of this entire thing. Especially after the ill-fated meeting she had with Edwin a few days ago, Elsa had her nerves rattled and her confidence swayed. Luckily for her, Jack was there to provide some encouragement and to help her forget about what happened – and her lawyer, who provided encouragement in harsh wording, but encouragement nonetheless.

"Sorry," she said, letting out a wry chuckle, "you're right. If Edwin saw me right now – it'd be pathetic of me."

Jack opened his mouth to speak, but was interrupted by the court officer swinging open the doors to the courtroom and summoning her.

"Elsa Winters," he stated, making eye contact with the blond.

Elsa darted her eyes over to Jack momentarily, who in turn, reached out to grab a hold of her small hand. She felt him squeeze it gently and a certain warmness was in his bright blue eyes that instantly calmed her.

"Just do your best," he told her. "I'll be right out here until you're done."

She softly exhaled, attempting to calm herself down. Elsa swallowed a lump that formed in her throat and forced a smile onto her face. "Okay," she whispered, grateful that he was giving her so much support.

Jack released her hand and watched as she got up, and walked towards the open courtroom. She had her shoulders pulled back and her head held high. He smiled at her, admiringly, as she went inside – not once looking back.

* * *

"Oh – okay then…" Anna's voice dropped slightly, losing its cheerful pep that it usually had as she held the phone close to her ear. On the other end of the line was no one other than Hans, who was telling her that he had to cancel their date plans this upcoming weekend.

Anna said her goodbyes and hung up the phone, hoping that she did not sound too dejected. She wanted to be the respectful girlfriend that gave her boyfriend the space he needed, but it was easier said than done. She could not deny the fact that she wanted to spend more time with him and although she did not admit it verbally, she wanted more physical contact with him. They had not even had their first kiss yet and Anna wanted nothing more than to experience it with him since she was hopelessly in love with him still.

She sighed, setting her phone down on the small café table and crossing her arms over her chest. Anna looked out the window at the busy downtown traffic that passed by the quaint little café that she was starting to grow fond of. She found herself visiting it every day since her first visit just a few days ago. Anna felt like it was her own secret little place that she could escape to instead of being cooped up inside her hotel room because aside from going out places with Hans, she was pretty much alone. It was not like she could bother Elsa with an outing since she knew that her older sister was preoccupied with school and the trial.

That was why Anna came here almost every day. It made her feel less lonely, even though she sat there alone for long hours at a time.

The sound of a cup being set down in front of her brought her attention back from the window. Anna stared down at the latte with a scoop of vanilla ice cream floating around on the surface before looking up at the person that presented her the tasty drink.

It was the blond barista, the one that she felt drawn to for no particular reason.

He gave her a lopsided smile and said, "latte with vanilla ice cream on top?"

Anna furrowed her brow at him and said, "I didn't order anything yet."

"Yeah, but – you've been in here for the past few days and ordered nothing, but this." He smiled at her again and stated, "figured that you'd want it now, rather than later."

"And why's that?" she asked, amused with him.

"You seemed a bit sad, honestly."

Struck by his blunt statement, Anna drew back a little, but remained silent. She lowered her head, avoiding his probing brown eyes. "…I have no reason to be sad," she muttered. Realizing how morose her tone was, Anna quickly tried to pick up her voice- sounding cheerful as she faced the barista again. "Sorry – "

"Ah, no, it's fine!" he quickly said. "I feel like I'm prying into a stranger's business at this point. Sorry." He awkwardly cleared his throat.

"Why are you the one saying sorry?" Anna asked, giggling softly at how nervous he sounded. She stared at the name tag on his dark brown apron and saw 'KRIS' etched onto it in bold white letters.

He noticed her staring at his nametag and he quickly elaborated, "u-uh, it's not really my name. Well, I guess it is – my actual name is Kristoff, but they couldn't fit the entire thing on this so they just shortened it."

"So – Kristoff," Anna stated.

"Yeah."

Her lips spread into a smile as she looked at him. He seemed harmless – even a bit adorable with how shy he was acting towards her. "I'm Anna," she introduced herself, "I guess we're not strangers anymore, right?"

"I – I guess not." He smiled, still acting a bit shy as he held out his hand towards her. "Nice to meet you, Anna."

She laughed lightly through her nose, taking his hand. "Same here."

* * *

Her hands felt clammy with a cold sweat as she slowly walked out of the courtroom. Elsa kept her blue eyes focused on the floor in front of her, not really paying too much attention to Jack as he rushed up to her.

"Did everything go okay?" he asked, concerned with how listless she looked. He guided her back over to the wooden bench they were sitting on.

Elsa managed to nod her head slightly, still staring off blankly as if she was in a trance. "Y-Yeah…somewhat. He was in there – the entire time…he just _stared_ at me."

"He's just trying to intimidate you."

She drew out a shaky exhale, trying to calm herself down. "I know that…but – it's just unnerving. I feel like…I messed up."

"How?"

In a somewhat angry voice, Elsa spat out, "I didn't speak clearly like I wanted to – I stumbled over my words several times and gave Edwin the satisfaction of watching me fail." She sighed, burying her face in her hands, not really caring at this point about ruining her makeup. It irritated her more when she heard Jack chuckle. Immediately, she glared, about to snap at him, but only to be cut off before she could say anything.

"Is that it?" he asked, chuckling again and even going so far as to rub the top of Elsa's head, as if she was a little child that was throwing a childish temper tantrum.

This left Elsa bewildered and caused her annoyance to reach its apex. "Seriously, Jack? I just made a fool of myself in there and you're actually laughing at me - ?"

"You expect too much from yourself, Miss Perfectionist." Jack smiled at her. "You really shouldn't beat yourself up over every little thing." He poked at her forehead, "remember what I said about stress lines?"

Elsa frowned at him. "I think developing wrinkles is the least of my worries right now, Jack."

"What I'm trying to say is, you shouldn't be so hard on yourself. The fact that you even testified against Edwin is victory enough. You stood up to him in the end. That's gotta count for something," Jack said, smiling.

She played with her thin fingers, mumbling, "I know, but it's not how I wanted it to go."

Jack placed his hand on her knee in a comforting manner. "Life isn't like one of those storybook fairy tales you used to love when you were a kid. It's not perfect and it never will be, but that's what makes it fun and unpredictable. If everything was perfect, the world would be pretty boring." He leaned forward to plant a kiss on her forehead while rubbing her back in an encouraging manner. "So it doesn't matter if you did it perfectly or not. You got through it, that's what matters."

Elsa offered up a little smile at him in response. Jack always seemed to know what to say and did his best to make sure that she felt better.

The court doors swung open, prompting the two to look over at them. A small crowd of people filed out, signalling that the court had adjourned for the day.

Among the people that walked out, Elsa's blood froze in her veins when she laid eyes on Edwin, coming out of the courtroom with his lawyer by his side. The young lawyer seemed to be attempting a conversation with the young man. He seemed uninterested in whatever it was that his lawyer was trying to say. At that moment, Edwin's hazel eyes locked onto Elsa and immediately his lips curled into a malicious smirk.

Jack noticed Elsa's change in mood and followed her eyes to see that she was staring at Edwin. He narrowed his eyes at the other man and quickly urged Elsa to leave. Purposely, Jack stood in between them, blocking Edwin from Elsa's line of sight. "Come on," he whispered hastily, "let's get out of here."

All the blond could do was nod, as she was rendered speechless just by the sight of Edwin. She walked in front of Jack - with her mind numb, but body willing to move just so she could get away from the man that attempted to rape her. Her walking speed picked up as they reached the front entrance of the courthouse. All she wanted to do was get out of there and go back to the hotel.

As they walked down the large set of stairs of the courthouse, Elsa stopped when she heard her name.

"Elsa!"

She turned around and shivered when she spotted Edwin coming up to them, a smug grin on his face. However, before the young man could approach her any further, Jack stepped in. He protectively held his arm out to his side, hiding her behind him as he glared daggers at the other man. "What the hell do you think you're doing?" he asked Edwin, his voice dripping with poison. "You got some nerve to show your face around Elsa again." Jack lowered his voice to a deathly whisper. "Do you want a repeat of the last time we met?"

"Woah - easy there." He chuckled. "I just wanted to speak to Elsa for a bit - _hey!_ " Edwin yelped when Jack grabbed the collar of his shirt.

In a threatening tone, the white haired man whispered, "I can assure you that if you even try to talk to her, I'll make sure the knife gets you right in the chest instead of your shoulder this time." Jack coldly grabbed the young man's shoulder and dug his fingers deep into the area that he had stabbed him, causing Edwin to cry out in pain with how tender the injury was still.

"Jack! Don't - !" Elsa said, grabbing a hold of the back of Jack's blazer. When she locked eyes with him, she pleaded with him. "Please..." she whispered, "he isn't worth it." The young woman tugged at his blazer again, silently asking him to let Edwin go.

Although he did not want to, Jack obeyed her and roughly let go of the brown-haired man's shirt collar. He glared at him one last time, watching him cough and straighten out his black tie.

Edwin chuckled, sneering at the bodyguard as he straightened out his back. "At least your master knows who not to mess with, guard dog," he said, addressing Jack. He looked over to Elsa and immediately his disposition changed into that of a warm personality. He smiled gently at her, much like he did when he and Elsa first met at the gala. "Elsa," he started off softly, "I'm sorry if we came to such a horrible misunderstanding with each other - "

"Misunderstanding...?" Elsa suddenly turned around, looking at him as if he had an abnormal growth on his head. She felt the fear that she felt for him slowly retreat and be replaced by rage. He was acting as if nothing had happened between them and he was trying to brush it all off. "You put me through hell and you want to call it off as a 'misunderstanding'?" She let out a little scoff, then a wry laugh as she came out from hiding behind Jack and faced Edwin.

The young man feigned innocence at her. "Elsa - "

"Don't pull that bullshit with me!" she shouted, loud enough to catch both men off-guard, but not loud enough to draw unwanted attention by other people. Jack rarely heard her cursing, much less raising her voice with such a force behind it. He wondered if he should step in, hesitating for a moment before deciding that he should pull her away before it escalated.

Jack took hold of her arm and gently tried to pull her away. "Come on, Elsa, you said he wasn't worth it - "

Elsa seemed to ignore him, yanking her arm away from his grip. Jack, surprised by her sudden tenacity, stood there in shock as she aggressively stepped forward towards the young man. She seemed devoid of all fear and confidence seemed to radiate all around her as she went off on Edwin, who seemed just as shocked as Jack was at the blond's sudden change in behavior.

Edwin's disposition changed as well, swiftly from his fake gentlemanly personality to his malicious one. He glared at Elsa, staring her down. "You think you can talk to me in such a way, bitch? I tried to be nice to you, but you think you can just get away with treating me as an inbred - "

"That's because you are one!" she seethed. "You're nothing, but a pathetic little fake and I've realized that the only reason I couldn't fight back until now was because I was wallowing in self-pity and angry with myself because I fell for it all! But not anymore! If you think that this little act of yours is going to get me to back down from delivering the other half of my testimony tomorrow, then you've got another thing coming!"

Stunned with how she was speaking to him, Edwin stood there with a bewildered expression that soon turned into a hateful glare. His hazel eyes shown dangerously, even more so when he saw Elsa sharply turn and start to walk away from him. "Wh - ?" he stammered, "I'm not done with you, you bitch - !" He reached out, grabbing Elsa by the shoulder.

Jack quickly moved in, ready to defend her, to pry Edwin's hand off of her shoulder, but stopped when Elsa acted before him.

Without absolutely no hesitation or remorse, the young woman narrowed her ice blue eyes, turned around, and punched Edwin squarely in the jaw. He immediately staggered back, releasing his hold on her and tripping on the steps, falling over backwards with a loud scream.

Elsa ignored the small crowd that had gathered around them and kept her eyes solely focused on Edwin, who held his aching jaw. She stood over him, red lips pursed in a fine line and not even a stray hair out of place as she told him. "You may not be done, but I am. Don't you dare attempt to talk to me ever again."

"I'll sue you! I'll report you for hitting me!" Edwin threatened, grinding his teeth together as Elsa started to walk away.

She turned to make eye contact with him. Her gaze was icy cold, freezing the brunette's body still in terror. In a clear voice, she asked him, "try as much as you want, but I wonder who's word the people will believe? The deadbeat, failure of a son that doesn't even have claims to his father's company or the CEO of a global financial firm?"

"...What did you say?" Edwin growled, feeling angry boil up inside of him. He was stunned at this sudden dominant side of her, but also displeased with the fact that he was witnessing such a side. He had believed that Elsa was meek, calm, and naive - but the person that he was seeing before him now was anything but that.

"You heard me," Elsa replied, almost haughtily in a firm voice. Her gaze obviously seemed to show that she was looking down upon him. "I have no reason to be afraid of someone like you."

Edwin threw his head back and briefly cackled before lashing out with a great amount of spite, "I know you're still scared of me, Elsa Winters!"

The platinum blond stared down at him for a while before muttering, "I am scared - but not of you. Not anymore," she stated, leaving with that as her final words to him. Elsa heard him spout off more curses and incoherent growling, but she ignored it as she descended the courthouse steps. Jack followed behind her closely, still amazed at how she stood up for herself in front of Edwin - even going so far as to punching him.

They did not say anything to each other until they reached Jack's car and got inside. He was hesitant to say anything to her at first, still shocked at her sudden change in personality, but he managed to get a few words out - "wow," he breathed, "that was - "

"Unexpected?" Elsa finished up for him, letting out a breathless laugh.

Jack looked over at her and saw her hands shaking slightly in her lap.

She noticed him staring at them and she tightly clasped them together, hoping that she could calm herself down. In a shaky voice, she explained herself. "I just couldn't take it anymore. The gall of him to approach me so freely - even to approach you despite what you did to him before. I realized that he didn't fear me, but I feared him and that was pathetic of me to let him control my life even after everything was over."

"I thought you didn't want me to hit him," Jack said, chuckling.

"Exactly," Elsa looked to her bodyguard and replied, "I didn't want you to fight my battles for me. You shouldn't get your hands dirty for a matter that I needed to settle." She mustered up a smile, still slightly trembling.

Jack, concerned with her, quietly inquired about her constant shivering, but Elsa quickly reassured him that it was fine.

"I-I'm just happy," she admitted, laughing softly, "I finally did something for myself. It feels like I did something out of my character, but - it feels nice."

He let out a soft laugh through his nose, starting up the car. "Or maybe you just did something _in_ your character."

Elsa raised an eyebrow at him, ceasing her trembling. "Huh?"

"I think you had that confidence inside of you all this time - it was just hidden." Jack pulled out from the parking lot and onto the streets. He smiled as he kept his eyes on the road. "If you're afraid of what other people might think of that confidence - then you have nothing to worry about."

"Really? And why's that?"

"Well...I liked it," he admitted, shyly. "I like seeing you like this - you know, confident."

A bright red blush crossed over Elsa's pale face. She widened her blue eyes and cleared her throat, turning away from him and uttering a soft, "oh." She definitely was not expecting such a truthful response from him. Jack did it often, but it always managed to catch her off-guard. Each and every single time, his heartwarming statements did just that - they warmed her heart and made her feel better about herself. Elsa glanced over at him briefly, smiling ardently. She felt as if Jack was much more to her than what she had previously made him out to be. It was to the point where she could not imagine her life without him.

"...Hey, Jack?" she asked him as they approached the hotel.

"Hm?"

"I know this might seem sudden, but - have you ever wondered what would have happened if we never met?"

The white haired man seemed confused initially by what Elsa was saying to him. He wrinkled his brow a little, not really providing her an answer.

At this unresponsiveness, Elsa quickly elaborated. "I know my father hired you for me because he was good friends with North, but what if he wasn't? What if he never hired you?"

Jack chuckled, pulling into the back parking lot of the hotel. "Why are you asking this all of a sudden?"

Elsa sat beside him, keeping her eyes on her lap. She felt him park the car and turn it off. Without the soft hum of the engine, they were immersed in a thick silence. At least until Elsa spoke up once more. "I was just thinking about how you've played such a huge role in my life and you've provided me with so much." She let out a soft laugh. "I know it might sound horrible, but I think the reason why I didn't really cry during my parent's funeral was because of you. I was sad - yes - but I never really felt lonely because I knew that I still had you. Maybe that's the real reason why I didn't cry. Even now, with the situation with Edwin, you were there by my side and you gave me the strength I needed. It's probably why I didn't just have a complete breakdown."

"You're speaking so highly of me, Ice Queen," Jack responded, chuckling.

"Seriously," she whispered back.

Jack, unprepared for what happened next, felt his heart skip a beat when he felt her soft lips give his cheek a peck. He stared at her as she pulled away, slightly biting her lower lip shyly. She seemed nervous as she continuously averted her gaze from him.

Elsa managed to mumble out, "thank you, Jack..."

"For what?" He reached out, cupping her cheek with a feather-light touch.

"For helping me all this time," she answered him, letting her eyelids fall slowly as Jack closed the distance between them. "You know...just for being there..."

He just smiled in response. Jack saw her face relaxing as he was just inches away from her. They were close enough to exchange breaths and he remained like that for a while, quietly studying the young heiress' delicate face before closing his own eyes. It was just a light brush at first. Jack admitted to himself that he was still pretty inexperienced when it came to kissing. Even though this was not their first kiss together, he still felt shy and unsure, but it did not bother him because he knew that Elsa felt the same way. When the light brush of their lips turned into a hesitant, sloppy kiss, Elsa made a little sound. He was not sure whether the sound was a ' _good_ ' sound or a ' _bad_ ' sound, but he figured it was the latter when the young woman pulled away right after.

"Sorry," she whispered, embarrassed and apologetic. "It's not you," she quickly reassured, "i-it's just kind of uncomfortable to kiss in a car."

"Oh - erm - sorry," Jack apologized, sheepishly holding the back of his neck as he pulled away from her. After a brief pause, Jack looked to her and asked, "do you want to -?"

"Yeah," Elsa answered without missing a beat.

They both got out of the car, almost in unison. Another thick silence surrounded them as they walked alongside each other towards the back entrance of the hotel. However, the silence was not awkward in the very least. They both felt a building tension between them during their short trip up to their room. It was not uncomfortable, but they knew that it needed to be relieved.

As soon as the elevator arrived at the top floor, Elsa's heart thumped wildly inside of her chest. She stepped out of the elevator first, all the while catching a glimpse of Jack from the corner of her eye. He had his blue eyes set on her in a focused gaze, a certain flicker of a fire inside them, one that Elsa had never seen before. It sent shivers down her spine. The unspoken tension began to bear down on Elsa, making her feel awkward around him. She attempted to alleviate this by breaking it with a conversation.

"M-Maybe I should put some ice on this hand," she said, referring to the hand that she used to punch Edwin. It was not hurting too much, but she was attempting in some type of conversation with him, just so that this strange tension could be lifted.

Jack said nothing, watching her as he followed closely behind. He lowered his eyes, letting them wander, absentmindedly listening to her talk, which all sounded like gibberish to him. His mind was elsewhere, more focused on her physically rather than what she was saying. Jack had no idea how Elsa managed to make simple business casual clothes seem so - _hot_. His throat dried up a little when he let his eyes rest on the view of her bare neck, with just the tease of the curve of her bare shoulder peeking out from underneath the white blouse collar.

A part of him said to stop fantasizing about her in such an immoral way, especially when Elsa was probably way too innocent about these things. Then, the other part of him said to go right for it - arguing that it was her that initiated that _extremely_ hot make-out session in her study a few days ago. She was far from innocent, but at the same time, she was a pure white canvas that Jack was afraid of tarnishing.

Elsa unlocked the door to their suite and immediately went to go retrieve the ice bucket. "I guess I hit him pretty hard, huh - ?" She stopped herself abruptly when she came face-to-face with him. She felt her heart speed up at the foreign look he had in his eyes - the way he was looking at her was starting to ignite a heat within her. Elsa had never seen him look at her in such a way before - with such a hidden passion.

She let out a little sound, almost like a soft yelp in surprise when Jack took the hand that she said that hurt. Elsa trembled as he brought it up to his lips and gently kissed her smooth knuckles. "J-Jack - ?"

"Don't talk about him anymore," he whispered lowly.

Elsa let out a soft gasp as he pulled her towards him. She collided into him, her face burying itself in his chest. Almost immediately, she felt him gently nuzzle the side of her face, leaving a trail of soft kisses as he traveled down. When he reached her jaw, Elsa felt him release her hair from its bun. He held onto the thick braid as he began to kiss her neck.

In a defensive manner, Elsa managed to bring her hands up to his chest. She attempted to push him away, but he held onto her, the arm around her thin waist keeping them together. "J-Jack," she stammered, squeezing her eyes shut.

Jack ignored her, pressing his lips to her porcelain white skin and kissing his way down her neck slowly. He heard the noises that were trapped in her throat, the soft mewls and strangled whines - he wanted to hear more.

"Ah! Jack - _wait_ \- a...ah!" Elsa drew in a sharp breath, widening her eyes when she felt his teeth against her skin. It was just a soft, prodding nibble at first, then it gradually became bites. It was not enough to hurt her or to draw blood, but it was enough to make her flinch with each one. She uncomfortably moved against him, unsure of how this was proceeding. "Jack," she called out to him, hoping to grab his attention.

" _Mmmnn_..."

"Jack - " she tried again.

He removed his mouth from her skin, but kept his head buried in the crook of her neck. "Elsa," he breathed out with some degree of difficulty.

Elsa shivered at the sound of his ragged, labored breaths right next to her ear. She tried to look over at him, but could only catch a glimpse of his messy white hair. "Jack...?" she whispered out cautiously.

"Sorry - I'm sorry..." Jack murmured, pulling away from her a little bit more so that she could finally see his face fully.

Elsa noticed his eyebrows knitted together in distress - frustration - as well as his pearly white teeth set in a firm line, grinding together as it seemed like he was struggling against something. She looked at him, concerned. "Wh-What's wrong?" Her voice was soft, unsure of how to approach him and how to deal with a situation like this. "J - ?"

"I feel like I shouldn't be doing this sort of thing, especially with you of all people." Jack glanced at her through his disheveled white bangs, before letting out a dry laugh that sounded like a scoff. "Damn it," he whispered, "what am I even doing?"

She stared at him, not sure of what to say at first. "Uhm..." she muttered, "it's okay." It sounded lame to her, but she honestly did not know what else to say to him.

Jack looked back at her, a questionable look in his eyes. He saw her shaking, trembling as if she was cold as she gently touched one of his hands that rested on her shoulder.

"...I know you're holding back...for my sake." Elsa went towards him and rested her head against his chest. She brought her hand up, sliding it underneath his black necktie just so that she could feel the heat of his skin through the thin fabric of his white dress shirt. "You do it a lot," she muttered quietly, "...putting my needs before yours. I know it's part of your job as my bodyguard, but - " She looked up at him and smiled warmly. "It's okay to think of your needs before mine."

Jack locked his jaw, bringing his lips into a straight line before asking, "do you know what you're saying right now?" He brought his hand up, very lightly trailing his knuckles against her sensitive skin before letting it rest against her cheek. His heart raced when he saw her lean into his gentle touch, closing her eyes and letting herself fall into a state of vulnerability before him.

Elsa parted her lips and let out a smooth sigh. She took hold of his hand, gently clasping it. She reopened her eyes, revealing those glacier blue orbs once more to him, only this time Jack noticed how she was looking at him differently. The shy, naive look that she normally had was replaced with a more mature, confident one - much like the one he briefly saw when she took the reins during their last make-out session. The innocent aura that surrounded her was gone and he could feel a different one - one that emanated a passionate desire.

"Yes," she whispered, answering him as she reached out to his chest. Her index and middle finger hooked themselves to his necktie and she let her hand drag it down, slowly undoing the knot. As soon as the tie was loosened, Elsa worked on unbuttoning his blazer and dress shirt underneath.

He noticed her small hands trembling, just slightly as she fidgeted with the buttons. Jack knew that she was still scared to proceed any further. Despite the confidence and the want in her eyes, he knew that she was far from experiencing any _real_ sexual desire like he was right now. "Els - " Before he could say anything else, the blond stopped him with a kiss. It was rather rough, but Jack knew that it was because of her inexperience and because of her forcibly trying to make _this_ happen all for his sake. He gasped into the kiss, which sounded like a moan, and tried to get her to stop. He somewhat managed to pry her away, but in a surprising display of strength, Elsa went back in.

" _Mmph_ \- !" Jack took a step backwards, finding himself being forced back by the sheer forcefulness of her kiss. His lungs screamed for air as his back finally made contact with the nearest wall with a dull thud. Whenever Elsa pulled away just for a brief moment, he gasped - panting - before his lips crashed with hers again. He was not sure if he wanted it like this or not. He knew that he wanted to stop Elsa because she obviously was forcing the entire thing, but he found himself actually liking this rough way she was taking him.

It was - _enthralling_ \- to say the least. Despite the sloppy delivery and the fact that she was forcing herself, Jack could not help, but slowly succumb to his desires.

He felt her hands shyly touch his bare chest, slowly trailing down to circle around his toned waistline. Jack gasped for air when she finally stopped kissing him, but he had very little time to actually catch his breath because he felt her apply her velvety soft lips against his neck. Panting, he asked her to stop - for her sake, but he knew that what he was saying and what his body was doing did not match up.

"El...sa," he said in a strangled groan, tilting his head over to the side and up, providing her more access. He tried to say something more, but all he could do was say her name as if it was a mantra. Everything else came out in an husky, incoherent mess - much to his displeasure because he started to notice that Elsa was picking up on the fact that he was enjoying himself. Even though he did not particularly mind that it was Elsa, he was irritatingly surprised at himself at how easily he was reduced to a malleable putty that she could play with upon a whim.

Damn it all.

Jack nearly lost himself when she nipped and suckled on the small area just below his ear, the junction where his jawline and neck met up. He felt his knees go weak, nearly buckling at this new sensation that shot straight through his body. He bit down on his bottom lip, hoping to stifle some of the odd sounds that were escaping his throat involuntarily. He shivered, very vaguely taking notice that she was yanking at his dress shirt, pulling it out from his pants. His mind told him to stop her, but his body remained still, all thoughts of motion cut off due to her suckling away at that one sensitive spot that could very well bring him down to his knees.

However, when he felt her shy hands hovering over the buckle of his belt, his consciousness returned to him. His blue eyes, no longer clouded in wanton desire, shot open and he forcibly pried her away from him. "Wait - Elsa," he panted, staring at the woman in front of him, who stared back at him as if he was growing another head.

"Wh - What - ?" she stuttered.

Jack shook his head slightly. "Is this what you wanted?"

"What do you mean?" Elsa furrowed her brow, looking at him worriedly. "D...Didn't you like it?" she asked, looking extremely confused.

Jack's face relaxed a little. "You're only doing this for my sake. Why...?" His voice softened up, lowering down to a dull whisper.

"You're always sacrificing yourself for me," she explained, "so this time I should do the same."

"You're pushing yourself to do something that you don't want - "

"But I do want you!" she blurted out, grabbing his arm. "This isn't forced. I-I'm ready to do this so..."

Jack set his eyes on her sternly, watching as she continuously avoided his gaze. He stared at the loose fist she held over her chest and saw that she was still shaking. She was scared. "Do you know what will happen if we continue?" he asked her.

"Huh - ?" Unprepared for what happened next, Elsa let out a loud, surprised gasp when Jack easily carried her off in his arms. Her eyes widened, fear taking over when she saw him taking her into the bedroom. "W-Wait, Jack - !" She felt him set her down on the bed and immediately, Elsa used her arms to scoot away from him, but he was faster than her.

Jack trapped her underneath him, placing his hands down on the bed on either side of her body.

Elsa stared up, finding herself staring directly into his mesmerizing blue eyes. They made her feel strange now, than how they usually made her feel. The warmth and comfort that he usually looked at her with was replaced with a cold, impassive gaze that honestly began to scare her. "J-Jack - " She drew in a sharp breath when he slid her blouse off her shoulder. Elsa trembled when she saw his hand move over to the white bow that held her blouse together. "No, wait!" she cried out as he untied the bow by pulling on one of the ends. The fear within her was definite.

"Don't say things if you can't follow through with them," he murmured, loosening the bow and starting on the first button of her blouse. He kept his eyes on her steadily, watching her reaction as he unbuttoned her top slowly. Her face tensed up, focusing her attention on his hand, which was working on the last button by now. "We've been together for all these years. Elsa...I know when you're lying."

She let out a soft, frightened whimper when he released the last button and her blouse opened up. The edges slid off the smooth plains of her stomach and immediately, Elsa covered up her chest with her arms, trying to keep herself decent in front of him. She squeezed her eyes shut and in a trembling sigh, she told him, "I'm not...I _do_ like you, but I don't know what's wrong with me." Elsa admitted as shook her head and whispered, "I'm still scared," she said within uneven breaths. "I can't stop shaking." She tightened her hands around her arms. It was obvious that she was torn on the inside, unable to figure out what she herself wanted.

Jack eased off of her, after a moment's pause, and gently took her hand.

Elsa stared at him, a silent question in her eyes at the suddenness of his behavior. She felt him help her up so that she was sitting upright on the bed. Her hand clutched at her blouse, keeping her chest covered while Jack held onto her other hand he captured. She watched him as he took a seat beside her on the bed.

"There's nothing wrong with you," he started off. In a loving gesture, he brought her hand up to his lips and closed his eyes as he kissed her fingertips.

The platinum blond blushed at the action, feeling her heart speed up inside of her chest.

Jack reopened his eyes and murmured, "nothing," he repeated.

"But - " Elsa looked away from him and pursed her lips together, feeling unworthy of his kind words again. "I don't want you to think - I don't like you or something, because I do," she reaffirmed. Elsa tried to form the words she desperately wanted to say to him, but it was hard. She was not sure how she could express her gratitude towards him for all that he's done for her so far. As she kept her head bowed, trying to think of the next things to say, she felt a slight weight on her head.

Jack rubbed the top of her head, smiling. "I know," he whispered, softly, "you were doing your best."

"I don't want to hurt you again -"

"You aren't. You already told me that you like me...and I know... _that_ wasn't a lie."

She felt another blush spike up to her face at the sight of his gentle smile. Elsa let out a soft squeak in surprise when he brought her in for a hug. She trembled, shivering at the foreign sensation of having skin-to-skin contact with him for the first time. "Jack," she said his name in a slight panic.

"This is okay, isn't it?" he whispered, burying his face into her shoulder. He could feel her shivering and that only prompted him to hold onto her tighter. Jack closed his eyes. "I know what Edwin did to you is still lingering in your mind, so I know doing things like this - being vulnerable - is bringing up those memories again, but I told you that I would erase the memories you have of him."

Elsa slowly began to loosen up the hold she had on her blouse, letting her hand fall and allowing the article of clothing to move however it wished. It began to slide off her shoulders, but she did not mind. She relaxed against him, her blouse stopping to the point of her arm where Jack's hand held her. It hung loosely off her body, leaving the top half of her body exposed to him, with the exception of her bra.

Although her trembling stopped, Jack could feel her heartbeat against his body. It thumped almost erratically, showing him that she was still nervous and to some degree, scared, but he knew that it was taking all of her strength to remain with him like this.

"Yeah," Elsa finally said in response to his statement, "you won't let him hurt me." She closed her eyes and sank into the warmth of his arms. "I remember you told me that the night we kissed for the first time..."

"Our first time..." Jack laughed softly. "Sorry," he said after a while, prompting Elsa to raised her eyebrow at his sudden apology. Jack tightened his hold around her so that she felt snug, but not uncomfortable. He whispered against her bare shoulder, "it's not your fault and I hardly blame you for it, but I was honestly jealous of him when he took you out for a date."

Elsa remembered how she and Jack unfortunately ran into each other in front of the theater and her lips formed into a tight lipped frown. She knew that she had hurt him greatly at the time, so all she could say was 'sorry' as well.

"No...I'm just pathetic," he answered her, chuckling. "I should have done something at the time, maybe then he wouldn't have caused so much trouble for you, but I held back. Partly because I was scared of being rejected by you and partly because I thought you were honestly happy with him." Jack sighed tiredly at himself as he gently rubbed Elsa's back. "I'm a horrible bodyguard...because I can't separate my feelings for you with my duties," he admitted, "I honestly hated seeing you with him." He pulled away slightly from her. "You asked earlier what would have happened if we never met in the first place - "

Elsa nodded at him, expectantly awaiting his answer.

"I think...we would have met each other anyways, because I really can't fathom the idea of my life without you."

A bright red blush bloomed over Elsa's face and she stammered unintelligibly for a bit, attempting to say something in response to him, who seemed to be awaiting an answer from her as well. Sure enough, he asked.

"What about you?" he started off, "I could be someone else's bodyguard," he suggested. "I could be doing the same things I'm doing to you to them instead - "

"No!" the blond adamantly protested. "I can't imagine you belonging to someone else other than me! I don't want to!" Her blue eyes were wide as if she was in a true panic, to which Jack responded back with an inaudible laugh.

"How selfish of you, Ice Queen," he teased lightheartedly, causing Elsa to blush a deeper red. Jack figured that he embarrassed her enough, so to alleviate it, he leaned forward to place a kiss on her small lips. He smiled at her innocent expression as he pulled away. "It's okay." he answered, kissing her again. He whispered against her lips, "I don't mind being possessed by you."

Elsa thought all the blood rushing to her head would make her pass out. The choice of wording Jack used made her body heat spike. It was such an intimate form of the language he used, but Elsa liked hearing it.

He noticed how red her face and chest was as he sat up straight in front of her. In a light chuckle, he asked, "was that too embarrassing?"

She simply narrowed her eyes at him. In a fluid motion, she leaned forward to wipe off some excess lipstick that was smeared on the corner of his mouth from just a while ago. She wanted to wipe off the rest of the lipstick marks she left almost all over his pale neck, but there was just too many. Elsa smiled a little and whispered, "no, it's the truth after all."


	16. People We Hold Dear

**Marionette **

**Chapter 16 - People We Hold Dear**

 _Warnings: Mentions of domestic violence_

* * *

"Ahhhh! Home sweet home!" Anna cheered happily, throwing her arms out wide as she walked up the front steps leading up to the entrance of the mansion. Her loosely waved strawberry blond hair seemed to bounce behind her as she hopped up the front steps. "Everyone's here right? Wendy too?"

"They should be," Elsa answered, smiling at her sister's vigor as she followed her. She looked up at the entirely of the large mansion and a sigh escaped her. The smile lingered upon her face, deepening as she continued to stare at the mansion. It felt good to finally be home.

Even before the two sisters could reach the front doors of the house, they swung open.

"Mistresses!" Wendy exclaimed, the elderly woman happily running forth to embrace the two girls. In a breathless sigh, she whispered, "I'm so glad that you two are okay!"

"Wendy!" The two sisters happily returned the hug, overjoyed at the fact that some amount of normalcy was coming back into their lives.

"I see you've already met up with Simon," the maid remarked, looking past the two girls and at their driver. She pulled away from them slightly and she asked to Elsa, "where is Jack? He didn't come with you?"

"He said he had some other business to take care of," Elsa replied.

"Ah, I see." Wendy hastily ushered the two girls inside the house. "I'm sure you two haven't had a nice home cooked meal for a while. How about I make your favorites tonight?"

"Anything?" Anna asked, her blue eyes lighting up.

"Of course."

The young girl happily cheered and quickly went on to list her favorite foods, most of which contained copious amounts of chocolate.

Elsa smiled at her little sister's cheerful mood as she followed them inside, however, she lingered in the entrance hall for a while, taking in the sight of the cleaned up mansion. Everything looked well-polished and tidy, just like how it was before the hired mercenaries trashed it. Even some of the furniture that was damaged was replaced with new ones that looked exactly like the previous ones that adorned the house.

With a deep inhale, a slow smile of emotional comfort spread across Elsa's delicate face.

It felt good to finally be back home.

* * *

With a dull thump, a sharp knife embedded the tip of its blade into the crude wooden board, hanging just a few feet off the ground. It hit it dead in the center of the circular target mark that looked as though it was hastily drawn on.

"Not bad," Toothiana commented, smiling as she looked at the knife that Jack had thrown at the target board. "Your aim's accurate..." she walked up to the board and pried out the knife, "not bad on power either, but being a little faster would be best."

"I thought that was pretty fast," Jack said, pouting a little as Toothiana handed him back the knife.

"If I can still see it flying towards the target while blinking my eyes, then it's too slow," she told him with a smirk. She gently motioned for Jack to step away so that she could provide a demonstration.

Jack was not even prepared for when she began because in a fluid motion, she pulled out six knives from inside her lightweight forest green vest and threw them at the target board. Each of them hit the board all around the center spot. It was like she said, if he had blinked, he would have missed her throwing the knives.

Toothiana smirked broadly, catching him staring at the target board in awe of her deadly accuracy as well as her speed with throwing knives.

"It's not any faster than a gun, but it's good if you want to be stealthy," she stated, allowing Jack to try again once more.

Focusing too much on the speed of the throw, Jack carelessly forgot about aiming altogether and threw it rather sloppily. The knife hit the board with a dull thunk again, but this time on the outside area of the circular target. He let out a soft sigh in frustration.

"It's okay," she reassured him, patting his bare shoulder. "I've only begun teaching you knife throwing just two years ago. Just keep practicing. You can get faster than me someday."

Jack chuckled. "I doubt that. I can't even throw multiples all at once." He went over to one of the benches in the training facility and picked up the towel he had brought with him. "Just how long have you been doing this again?"

"Almost 10 years," Toothiana answered with a proud smile. "Manny set me up with a professional instructor when he allowed me to become a Guardian. They taught me everything I know today."

"Hm." Jack kept his eyes on her as he took a seat on the bench, ceasing his training for the day. In curiosity, he asked her, "Manny did?"

"Of course." Toothiana took a seat down next to him. She smiled at the ground, her gaze soft with admiration and respect as she spoke of their mysterious leader. "I'm grateful that he did. It empowered me to be able to defend myself and even other people." Her voice dropped a little as her expression turned somber. "I...wasn't in a good place before all this," she muttered, digging up her painful past memories.

Jack quickly intervened. "You don't have to tell me this, Tooth - "

"I want to," she interjected. A sigh escaped her as if she was trying to relax herself before continuing. "I know you want to know more about us. It isn't fair that we know everything about you, but you know nothing about us, right?" She smiled at him.

He did not say anything, only because what she was saying was right. It really was not fair that they knew everything about him, but he still knew nothing of much of their past and of course, their organization, the Guardians.

With another short sigh and a hesitant silence, Toothiana laced up her fingers in her lap and began speaking. "Several years before I joined the Guardians, I was dating the most wonderful man - one that every woman would ever want. He was smart, handsome, such a gentleman, and nice to everyone. I met him because we were both coworkers for a financial firm. His cubicle was right next to mine." A soft giggle escaped her. "It sounds like a cliched office romance, doesn't it?"

"Kind of," Jack commented, returning her laugh. "I can't really imagine you as an office worker though."

"I didn't look like this back then," she told him with a playful smile, pointing at her colorful hair and striking makeup. "I was actually quite plain - shoulder length black hair, wore no makeup practically, and was probably a few pounds heavier too. That's why I was surprised when someone like that was willingly trying to talk to me." She sighed happily, leaning back on the bench, lifting her small feet off of the ground. "Even though it was cliched, it was _my_ romance and I enjoyed every minute of it. We eventually started dating and I felt like I was swept up into an everlasting dream. After a few months later, I nearly fell over when he proposed. But - " The light in Toothiana's eyes faded slowly as she planted her feet back onto the ground.

Jack noticed this change in deposition and became worried for what she was about to tell him next. "Did...you ever marry him?"

"I did, but I wish I didn't," she muttered, hugging herself tightly. "I was stupid...I should have packed my bags and left as soon as he came home drunk one night. All I did was ask him where he was the entire night, but I guess that made him angry. He lashed out and hit me across the face. I screamed, begging for him to stop, but - " Toothiana paused, not wishing to go into the details of what happened to her that night. "When I woke up in the morning," she continued, "I thought for sure that I was dead, but I just passed out. I was so frightened when I saw him by my side in bed, but he made me breakfast and apologized so much over what he had done to me. He said he was so drunk and he promised me that he would never lay a hand on me ever again. Stupid me, I forgave him."

The white haired man noticed how glassy her pink eyes looked, shimming from the onset of tears. Not wishing to subject her to dig up her painful memories of his sake, he attempted to stop her. "Tooth - you really don't have to tell me - "

Adamantly, she shook her head, sniffling as she did so. "You deserve to know," she simply stated.

Seeing as how she was determined to get her story told to him no matter how much he was against it, Jack begrudgingly remained silent for the rest of the time.

"He went out drinking more often as our marriage progressed. Each and every time he came home drunk, he would beat me, even if I said nothing to him. He said just me 'existing' was enough to piss him off to beat me until I was bleeding and bruised. Every time that he wasn't drunk though, he was the nicest person and reverted back to the man that I fell in love with. He would always apologize for how he treated me, cuddling and holding me as if I was the most precious thing in the entire world and begging for me to forgive him. Every single time - I did."

Toothiana smiled a little, even though by now, tears were streaming down her wet cheeks.

"He stopped beating me when I told him that I was pregnant. I was happy that day, not only because he was happy, but also because I could finally have a child of my own. When...I found out it was going to be a baby boy, I started compiling a list of all the names I thought were nice." She laughed, wiping away her tears with the back of her hand. "I finally decided upon a name after a while - "

"What...?"

" _Jack -_ I always liked that name," Toothiana said, looking towards the young man with a smile. "He said it was too plain though, but I didn't want to fight with him over it."

Seeing her expression turning sullen, Jack anticipated the worse. He tried to ask her what happened next because curiosity tugged at his nerves, but then again, he also did not want to know, in fear of what kind of morbid details he was about to hear.

Toothiana's voice was soft. "It turns out that we didn't have to decide on a name after all. I was a few weeks too early." She swallowed away a lump that had formed under her own sorrow. Her voice was barely above a whisper. "I had a miscarriage...the doctors told me that it was due to an internal injury I had and it formed a fatal blood clot." Toothiana shook as she held a hand over her stomach, softly crying. "He wasn't drunk, but he beat me again that night, saying that it was my fault that our son died - that I was the one that killed our son."

Jack, angered with what he was hearing, strongly argued, "that's not true! You were like that because he kept hitting you - !"

She trembled, nodding as she quickly wiped away her loose tears. "I know, but I didn't dare tell him this because I was so scared for my life that night. I truly thought that I was going to die right then and there because of how hard he was hitting me - how roughly he threw me against the walls and furniture...I tried to grab the phone to call the police when he had stopped for a while, but he caught me and broke the phone." The green haired woman paused for a brief moment before gently whispering out, "it may sound strange...but I actually got used to being his punching bag. I was scared for my life - yes - but I just took it. It stopped hurting after a while, but that night...his words hurt more than his punches. He kept saying that I murdered our baby. I was the one that messed up, like always. I couldn't bare to listen to him anymore."

Toothiana closed her eyes, letting the last of her tears roll down her cheeks.

"I killed him," she whispered. "I ran into the kitchen and grabbed a butcher knife. Without thinking, I lunged at him as soon as he followed me in." She saved Jack the gory details and simply explained herself, defending her actions. "I felt angry...not because of what he was doing to me, but what he ultimately did to my son. _He_ was the one that killed my baby." Toothiana let out a choked sob and whispered, "not me. _Not_ me." She buried her face in her small, dainty hands and wept loudly, ignoring the fact that Jack was there beside her - listening to her lamenting cries.

He lowered his blue eyes pensively, then looked at her. Jack was never aware that Toothiana held such a dark secret and had lived through hell before joining the Guardians. Compared to her life then and now, he understood why she was so devoted to Manny and the rest of them. He rescued her, gave her a home, and even surrounded her with people that she could call a family - especially himself. He still had to get over the initial shock of finding out that Toothiana wanted to name her baby boy, Jack, but it started to make sense to him as to why she seemed so worried over him all the time or the way she would dote over him.

He knew that she did not think of him as a sort of "replacement" for her real son because the moments that he shared with her ever since he was brought home from the orphanage was anything, but fake. The fancily dressed, eccentric woman was the first one that made an attempt to reach out to him. She would spend all of her free time taking him out to different places, feed him all the ice cream he ever wanted, and above all, she gave him the love that he so desperately wanted at the time - a motherly love.

"If _Jack_ was alive...he would have been lucky - "

"Huh?" Toothiana sniffled.

Jack smiled warmly at her, affectionately. " - he would have had such an amazing mother."

She laughed lightly, modestly brushing off his comment. "I-I don't know about that," she stammered, sniffling in between words. Shaking her head lightly, Toothiana sadly murmured, "I wasn't strong enough to protect him from that monster. Even now, even when I went through all the effort to shed my past self, it still haunts me."

"But you're strong now," Jack told her. "That's what matters. If I was Jack, then I'd be proud to see how my mom has changed for the better."

"If you say it like that, it sounds like you're the one saying it," she laughed again.

The white haired young man looked at her for a while before dropping his gaze to the ground. Hesitantly, shyly, he muttered, "...I never really knew my parents, so when you guys all took me in...I guess you could say that you all became my family - especially you, Tooth."

She widened her pink eyes, shocked to hear these words from him for the first time. "Jack..." she breathed out.

"...You're like a mother that I never had," he admitted softly, a growing blush forming on his face from the nervousness of revealing such a secretive detail to her. "Even when I was a kid, whenever I'd see my friend Jaime run up to his mom or some of the other playground kids run up to their moms, I did feel somewhat left out truthfully. I don't even know who my real mother is, but then you'd come along and coddle me just like those other moms would to their kids, even when you weren't my real mom. I was _so_ happy that you were there."

Toothiana's lower lip trembled at Jack's admittance. She tried to form words to say to him, but nothing came out. Partly it was due to her unable to physically speak from the swell of emotions that magically seemed to block up her throat, but another reason was because she really could not find the right words to say to him. A mere 'thank you' seemed underwhelming and a grandiose essay of her intimate thoughts seemed too overwhelming.

Jack turned to her and smiled, looking at her with a respectful loving gaze. "I still am really happy that you're my mother," he said.

The green haired woman let her tears flow freely down her cheeks again as she held her hands over her mouth. She sobbed in front of him, choking and trembling as she felt a wondrous wave of bliss wash all over her body at the sound of his words. She really was at a loss of what to say to him because what he said touched the very depths of her heart that she had sealed away many years ago, along with the painful memories of her past.

Jack, knowing that she was crying because she was immensely happy, brought her in for a half-hug, laughing lightheartedly to prevent the mood from turning sullen. He comforted her, rubbing the top of her head and letting her cry it all out. As Jack listened to her crying, he smiled gently and closed his eyes. Although he was not as expressive about his feelings as Toothiana was, he too, was happy.

He had always thought of the older woman as a motherly figure, someone that filled the void and mended the scars of being an orphan from birth. It made him happy because he knew that she needed him as much as he needed her.

"...Thank you."

* * *

A guilty verdict.

As soon as the judge lowered the gavel onto the sounding block, officially marking the end of the painstaking, mentally exhausting trial, Elsa let out a sigh of relief. She finally felt as if her horrifying ordeal was over. On her shoulder, she felt the familiar touch of Jack's hand, gently squeezing it as a sign of comfort.

She looked over, smiling at him. "It's finally over," she said to him, getting up from the wooden benches and walking out of the courtroom.

Jack nodded in agreement, following her closely behind. "I'm happy for you - "

"Winters!"

The two turned around at the sound of the stern, commanding voice. They saw Hans' brother, Aaron, briskly walking up to them. Elsa was a little bit intimidated, wondering what her lawyer could want from her even though the trial had reached its conclusion. She was always wary about talking to him because his wording was harsh most of the time, although she knew that he meant well.

Aaron adjusted his frameless glasses, keeping his sharp, eagle-like green eyes on Elsa. "Good job," he told her promptly, catching the young heiress off-guard for a moment.

"H-Huh?"

He frowned. "Must I repeat myself - ?"

"Ah, no no!" Elsa quickly answered, laughing sheepishly. "Sorry, I - uhm - it's just so unexpected to hear - from you."

Jack knew of Aaron's no-nonsense personality all too well from what Elsa's told him, so it surprised even himself when the other man seemed to bear the look of slight hurt on his face.

"I'm very much capable of providing praise when it's due," Aaron stated.

"Ah...thank you then," Elsa replied, mustering up an awkward smile, to which her lawyer responded with a grunt. "Uhm, thank you for being my lawyer as well. Are you sure that you don't want me to pay you - ?"

"That's not necessary," he abruptly cut in, "consider this the beginning of a partnership between the Winters and my family's lawfirm."

"O-Oh - okay then."

He bowed his head a little, showing her his silent gesture of gratitude before walking away. However, he stopped himself shortly afterwards. "You might want to head out the back door, Winters," he suggested, "it seems that you've garnered some attention from the media because of this trial. They want to know how the daughter of the late Winters Financials CEO is doing. I'm sure you and your bodyguard would like to avoid the media circus in the front."

"Thank you."

Jack raised an eyebrow at the other man as he walked away. "That was unexpected," he commented, earning a light laugh from Elsa.

"He means well, I think - in his own way."

Taking Aaron's advice, the two headed towards the back exit of the courthouse.

"He's like...the more extreme version of you," Jack joked along the way.

The platinum blond glared at him. "Is that supposed to be a compliment?" she questioned him with a sharp tongue.

"It's not a bad thing," he said, shrugging. "Look at him, he's a successful lawyer and you're going to be a successful CEO."

"I guess," Elsa mumbled, unwillingly agreeing with him.

They left through the back exit and sure enough, there were no reporters or cameras in sight. Even so, Jack asked that they quickly make their way to the car. Once inside, he said as he started the engine, "it's hard enough being your bodyguard, but there's no way I'm doing crowd control for paparazzi too." He chuckled as he backed the car out.

"Oh," Elsa's expression fell a little at his words, "sorry."

"What?" he looked at her, confused by her sudden apology. "Why are you sorry for that?"

"You nearly died several times and had to be put into dangerous situations. If you were anyone else's bodyguard, you wouldn't have to deal with all of that."

He scoffed lightly. "Please. If you don't know by now, I was kind of hired to do this almost ten years ago by your father. It's a little too late for me or you to start regretting it now." Jack glanced over at her, seeing her head still lowered. He slightly softened up his voice, seeing as how she was being affected by the situation much more than he thought. "I already told you before...if I hated being your bodyguard, I would have left a long time ago."

"I - I know - "

"And...even if I wasn't your bodyguard - I'd still be here for you."

Elsa felt her heart speed up at the sound of those words from him. Even though he has told her similar things many times in the past, each and every single one was heartfelt and touched her deeply.

She bit down on her bottom lip lightly and glanced at him shyly. After about the third time, she let her eyes linger on him for a while longer, taking in the sight of his side profile as he drove. She had always known this before, but she could never get over the fact that Jack was _extremely_ handsome - at least in her eyes. Quickly, she tore her eyes away from him before he noticed her staring.

Elsa hated feeling like a love-struck teenage girl, but that was what she was in actuality. With a loose fist held over her chest, she admitted to herself that she was a pathetic love-struck teenager that was hopelessly in love with her kind, gentle, good-looking bodyguard. Of course, she would never admit this out loud and absolutely never admit this to Jack himself.

"Who's that?" Jack asked, breaking Elsa out of her thoughts.

She noticed who he was referring to as they pulled into the driveway of her house.

"That looks like...Hans' car, doesn't it?" she questioned. "But - "

Their attention was on the black haired woman standing just outside of the front door. Her dark gray eyes were locked onto Jack's car like a hawk watching its prey. She was small in stature and Jack was sure that he could handle her if she turned out to be a threat or enemy, but as a precaution, he ordered Elsa to stay in the car.

Jack cautiously left the car, gently pushing the door shut as his other hand went for his staff. He did not release it from his holster, but he kept his hand on it as he slowly rounded the house, going back around the front to see just who this unfamiliar woman was and what she was doing here. Just as he rounded the corner, his eyes went wide in shock when he felt the sharp tip of a blade being pressed up to his neck.

"Let me see both your hands."

His eyes cautiously looked down and he saw that it was her. Her gray eyes bore into his own, sharp and unwavering, showing that she had the will to very well slit his throat at any given moment.

Jack brought his hands up, showing them to her as he decided to comply with her demands for now.

"Who are you?" he asked of her, swallowing at the feeling of the cool metal of the blade being pressed up against his warm skin. He kept his blue eyes on her warily.

"Hans Isles' bodyguard," she stated coolly. Her gaze was still fierce, like a wild burning fire that threatened to harm him at any given time. "You are - ?"

"...Sera?"

Her gray eyes widened as she took the dagger off of Jack's neck. She whipped around as if she was surprised by the sudden familiar voice. "Hans?"

Jack looked up and saw the auburn haired man standing just a few feet away, apparently shocked at what he was seeing. He wrinkled his brow as he questioned him, "is this your bodyguard?"

Before Hans could answer him, Elsa called out Jack's name, running up to them. She had a panicked look in her eyes as she ran up to Jack's side. "Hans, what is going on?" she asked in a demanding tone of voice. Elsa narrowed her eyes at both him and the woman. "Don't you know that this is _my_ estate? How dare you threaten my bodyguard like that - ?"

"I'm so sorry, Elsa," Hans profusely apologized with great sincerity. "This is my new bodyguard, Sera. I was just here hoping to visit Anna. I told Sera to wait outside for me - "

"Did you even bother to tell her to practice restraint?" Jack interrupted, feeling annoyed with how he was threatened on his home turf.

Hans opened his mouth to apologize again to the white haired man, but Sera stepped in. Her gray eyes which were once dangerous and threatening, looked submissive and apologetic as she immediately knelt down in front of Jack. "I'm very sorry!" she exclaimed. "It was rash of me to act in such a way to you!"

Both Jack and Elsa stared at the young woman in a state of shock. They looked at each other, then at Hans, then back down at Sera, unsure of what to do in such a sudden, awkward situation. Jack cleared his throat stiffly and took hold of her arm, helping her back up to her feet. "You don't need to apologize to me to that extent - uh - Sera - "

"But I nearly killed you!" she argued.

Just to alleviate the situation, Jack insisted that she get back up onto her feet, forcibly pulling her up. "It's fine!" he said, trying to laugh it off and uplift the mood. "I nearly get killed almost everyday! It's nothing new."

Sera stared up at him with a look of adoration as she stood on her own two feet. Much to everyone's surprise once again, she profusely thanked Jack for forgiving her so easily and threw her arms around his waist, hugging him tightly. "You're so generous, thank you!"

Jack stammered, blushing as well at how closely she hugged him. He awkwardly placed his hands on her shoulders and tried to push her away without making it seem like he was forcibly shoving. Luckily for him, Hans quickly stepped in and managed to get his bodyguard under control. "I'm sorry," he told Jack, "Sera gets attached to people easily. Uhm - sorry again, about everything."

Unsure of what to even say to this type of situation, Jack simply told him, "it's...okay." He could only blankly stare at them, still bewildered at what just happened.

Elsa and Jack watched as Hans led his bodyguard back to his car. It looked as though he was scolding her, but all she did was smile back at him as if she heard nothing. When they were finally leaving, before she got into the driver's seat, Sera waved goodbye at Jack.

As the car left the driveway, Elsa furrowed her brow and commented, "that was...something."

Jack made a little grunting sound in response, confused with what just happened as well. "She's - uh - yeah..."

The two looked at each other simultaneously and immediately burst into laughter. It was hilarious to them on how awkward of a situation that was and how both of them were rendered speechless, unable to really comment on it verbally. It was such an odd situation that neither of them had ever encountered before.

"Certainly an interesting way to end the day," Elsa said, her laughter dying down as she went over to the front door.

"You think?" Jack asked, chuckling as he followed her.

The young woman pressed the doorbell once, expecting Wendy to open it for them anytime soon, but after a minute of waiting Elsa knitted her brows together in confusion and rang the doorbell again. "Huh," she muttered, reaching into her purse to fish around for her house keys. "That's strange. It usually doesn't take Wendy this long to open the door - " Just as Elsa managed to find her keys in her bag, the door opened up. Another one of the housemaids answered the door, prompting Elsa to question her curiously, "Alisa, is Wendy here?"

"Ah, I'm afraid that Wendy had some personal family matters to attend to. She asked that the rest of us inform you that she won't be back until next week."

"I see. Thank you for telling me."

"Of course, Mistress." The young woman bowed slightly and humbly said, "my apologies for opening the door so late. I'm afraid that I'm not too used to answering the door since that was always Wendy's job."

"It's okay, Alisa," Elsa replied lightly. "I just hope that you didn't take too long answering the door for Hans earlier."

The maid stared at her for a while and asked, "Hans?"

Finding her tone odd, Elsa asked again, "yes. We just met him outside. He told me he stopped by to visit Anna."

"Oh no, Mistress. Hans never came by and Miss Anna's been relaxing in the pool room for a few hours now. She never informed me that she was expecting guests."

Elsa turned back to look up at Jack, who seemed to share the same feelings of suspicion as her from what they had been just told. Something did not feel right...

"You should go talk with Anna," he suggested.

She nodded in agreement. "Okay."

Jack watched Elsa leave the entrance hall and towards the pool room. Once she disappeared from view, he turned back to the maid and asked, "did any of the alarms go off?"

"No, sir. None of them and like I've told the mistress, I didn't hear the doorbell going off earlier either. I can't imagine that Hans actually got inside because he would have set off the alarms."

Wondering just what exactly Hans was doing here and why the maid in charge of the door did not even know of his visitation struck Jack as odd. He cupped his chin for a while, deep in thought, then thanking the maid for her help.

When she left the entrance hall, the young man began to form the dark doubts inside of his head. Hans' sudden visitation was certainly odd and completely out of the blue, especially if Anna says that she did not invite him over. Jack looked up the large double staircase with narrowed eyes, the light of suspicion in them. Without another moment's hesitation, he went upstairs, heading straight for Elsa's study.

* * *

"Huh? Seriously? Hans came by?" Anna pouted her bottom lip at her older sister at this revelation. She hung the dry towel over her damp strawberry blond hair as she carefully sat down on one of the poolside chairs. "I can't believe he didn't say anything!"

"Are you sure he didn't? Jack and I just saw him outside before we came in."

"I swear!" Anna insisted. Her blue eyes reflected a hidden pain as she muttered under her breath, "...why didn't he say anything to me about visiting? I was here the entire time..."

Despite the mystery surrounding Hans' abrupt, unannounced visit, Elsa felt sorry for her little sister. She saw how saddened she looked, her normally bright blue eyes dimming quickly.

"Anna..." Elsa whispered, taking a seat on the chair beside her. Worriedly, she tried to get a good look at her sister's face, hoping that she could at least make eye contact with her. "Anna," she called out to her again. When she finally got her to look up at her, Elsa asked, "what's wrong? It isn't like you to be this depressed. So, Hans didn't say anything when he came over, it might hurt, but - "

A soft whimper escaped from the depths of Anna's throat. It sounded strangled, as if she was forcing herself to hide her true emotions. "...I just feel like he doesn't like me anymore."

"I thought you two were head over heels in love with each other."

Anna slowly shook her head. "I feel like it's only me fawning over him now. He's never initiates anything."

Elsa lowered her gaze solemnly, muttering out, "he might be keeping his distance out of respect for you, Anna."

"No..."

"Just because he hasn't done anything physical with you - "

"No!"

Drawing back at how forcefully Anna retorted at her statement, Elsa flinched and stared at her with widened eyes. Fearing that she would set her off again, she remained silent and waited for Anna to be the first one to say something.

After a few long, drawn out breaths in order to calm herself down, Anna closed her eyes tightly as if she was in a deep pain. "...You're wrong," she whispered. "I would think that...if you really like someone, you'd want to touch them - just to know that they're really by your side. Just holding hands together is fine...it's enough." Her voice sounded wispy, barely above the sound of her breathing. Anna looked over at Elsa and asked, "don't you like it when Jack touches you?"

Elsa immediately blushed and frantically waved her hands out in front of her. "W-When you phrase it like that - !"

The red head dropped her gaze to the damp poolside once more. "It must be nice," she said scornfully, even though she did not mean for it to come out that way. "It must be nice to be loved by someone."

"Anna..." Elsa hesitated for a bit, unsure of what the outcome will be, but she threw her arms around the young girl's lithe body. She ignored the fact that Anna was soaking wet still from the pool and brought her in closer.

Surprised by this gesture, Anna widened her eyes and breathed out, "Elsa...?"

"I'm sorry," the blond quickly said. She squeezed her eyes shut, feeling her heart beating quickly inside of her chest. "I know it's awkward...especially coming from someone as distant as I am, and I know that I haven't been the best older sibling to you over the years, but I just _really_ want you to know this - I love you, Anna."

She froze in Elsa's arms, but ironically, she felt her heart warming up and spread all across her body. It felt pleasant to her. In a trembling breath, she whispered her name again. "El...sa..." She felt tears welling up in her eyes, even though she did not really know why she was crying. She thought to herself, perhaps this was the _'love'_ that she had been searching all this time?

"Even if it seems like Hans doesn't love you, just know that _I do_ ," Elsa stated. "It may not be the same type of love, but -"

"This is fine," she uttered softly, surprising her sister. "More than enough," Anna whispered, smiling through her tears as she buried her face into her sister's fluffy white blouse. She felt as though the rift that was set between them over the past few years was mended and the unsettling feeling that resided deep within her chest was diminishing. It was a nice feeling and she welcomed it. It felt exactly like how she felt with Elsa during their childhood - the comforting warmth and reassurance that someone out there loved her.

Elsa felt a single tear slip out from her closed eyes. It was hard saying all of this out loud, but she knew that Anna needed to know her true feelings."I'm sorry it just took me so long to actually tell you this."

Anna giggled lightly. "Yeah. Took you long enough," she joked, earning a laugh from Elsa. She gently squeezed her arms around Elsa.

The young woman smiled, leaning into the inviting embrace and realizing that what her sister said was true. It did feel nice to have physical contact with the ones you love. It brought reality to the moment and Elsa cherished that feeling, gratefully holding onto it and never willing to let it go.

* * *

The door was left ajar.

Jack crept into the dark study, keeping light on his feet. He kept his guard up, even though he did not spot anyone. His blue eyes scanned the room. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary - everything was cleaned meticulously, the books were all aligned on the bookshelves in perfect order, and the papers on Elsa's desk were in a neat pile.

Of course - Jack knew that Elsa always made it a point to put her papers back in the filing cabinet. She never laid them out on the desk, even in a pile.

He walked over to the stack of papers and knelt down beside the desk. Upon closer inspection, he noticed a dull blinking red light among the stack. It immediately caught his attention and he shuffled through the various documents, eventually seeing the source of the mysterious red light.

It was a small metal device, no bigger than a bullet. He narrowed his eyes at it as he took it in his hands. After staring at it for a while, he realized what it was.

A listening device.

It definitely confirmed Jack's suspicion for Hans. There was something he was hiding, perhaps his real motive for dating Anna as well. There was no reason for Hans to be sneaking around the Winters' estate and not informing his own girlfriend about his visitation.

With a slight, annoyed click of his tongue, Jack dropped the device onto the floor and immediately ground the heel of his dress shoes into it, effectively crushing the fragile device and rendering it useless. He had doubt in his mind that Hans had somehow snuck inside to place the device in Elsa's study, where she usually discussed sensitive information about the company or any thing for that matter.

Jack bent over to pick up the broken device and gave a little sneer at it, indirectly making fun at how Hans could not have chosen a more obvious place to hide it at.

"Gotta do better than that," he said.

As he left the study and closed the door behind him, a soft beeping sound could be heard in the room. It was very faint and at a decibel undetectable to most humans, almost inaudible, which was why Jack failed to notice it. Even when he was right beside the very desk at which it was stuck on.

Within the silent, dark room, it continued beeping.

Beeping - and _listening_.


	17. Traitor

**Marionette**

 **Chapter 17 - Traitor**

 _Warnings - None_

* * *

"A bug?"

Jack nodded, tossing the damaged device across the desk towards Bunnymund. He watched the older man inspect the device carefully as he commented, "it's like Hans didn't even try to hide it honestly. Might as well have left it out in plain view."

"Hold on. You sure that it was Hans?" Bunnymund inquired curiously, looking over at Jack with a level of skepticism.

"I'm sure," Jack replied back firmly. "It's either him or his bodyguard. They were the only ones there at the estate on that day and they were both acting really... _strange_."

"Why would he want to target Elsa?" Toothiana asked. "He's not a part of the Pitchiners, is he?"

"No," he answered, "not that I know of. I'm not even sure of his motive either. If he wanted to kill her, then he had plenty of opportunities to do so. He even went through the trouble of hiring a group of mercenaries and being captured himself."

" _If_ \- he's involved." Bunnymund saw Jack throw him a slight glare. He shrugged in response. "You have to be skeptical about these things, mate. This Hans fellow comes from a prominent family and surrounded by lawyers who just happen to be those same family members. You want to be careful before you point the finger at him. Make sure you have enough proof that he's planning something."

"What?" Lowering his dark eyebrows, Jack pointed at the device in Bunnymund's hand and asked, "that isn't proof enough?"

"Well, if you actually got him on camera or something. Besides, this cheap little thing is sold in any spy or hobby store on each block. If it was custom-made, then it'd be another story."

"And while we're waiting around, he might be planning his next move." He scoffed. "You know, I really don't like how he's dating Anna. I'm getting the feeling that it's all just a ruse to get closer to Elsa."

"You might be true, Jack, but I have to agree with Bunny," North said, adding his input into the situation. He pensively stared at the table while stroking his salt and pepper colored beard. "My best advice is to keep Elsa close."

Jack stared at the elderly man as if he was insane. "...Really?" he asked incredulously. "So all I can do is sit here and wait until something bigger happens?"

North set his grayish blue eyes in a firm gaze at the young man. "Jack, acting when we have absolutely no solid proof that this Hans character is targeting the Winters is irrational."

"And not to mention, foolish," Bunnymund added in.

Stubbornly, Jack remained silent, electing to crossing his arms over his chest as he leaned back in his chair. He did not like this plan at all - in fact, he disagreed with it to the fullest extent. It was not because it made his job harder in the long run, but he was afraid of jeopardizing Elsa's safety by lying in wait for Hans to make his next move.

North sensed Jack's apparent displeasure with the plan. "I know you strongly disagree with us, Jack, but acting now will accomplish nothing good."

"And why's that?" he asked, scoffing lightly.

"Because," North rested his calloused elbows on the long desk, drawing out a sigh as he did so. "The Haddocks agreed to help us - the Guardians and of reviving the Lunanoffs. It's a sensitive meeting that will also benefit the Winters later on as well. I don't want to jeopardize this by creating an issue with another prominent family."

Piquing his interest, Jack looked over at the heavy-set, elderly man and asked, "then I guess your trip to Berk was successful?"

"Yes." The area around North's eyes wrinkled as he smiled. "While they are not as financially wealthy as the Winters are, they are the wealthiest family outside of Burgess and they have agreed to help Manny...at least until Elsa receives full control of the corporation when she turns 21."

"Soooo, let's say that Manny does actually get to reviving his family's name - what happens then?"

"A partnership with the Winters once again, as it had always been. It would mean that Elsa would be safer as well."

"From the Pitchiners? Kind of hard to believe that they're still out there waiting to target Elsa."

"It is mainly the corporation they are after, not Elsa," North explained to him. "I know you have only spoken to Agdar Winters a few times, Jack, so you will not know this. It is good thing Elsa is devoting a lot of time and energy into her father's corporation right now. It will not be easy to be in charge of such a powerful company."

"That much?" Jack asked, finding it a little bit hard to believe with how humble the Winters household appeared despite all these claims of immense power and wealth.

North slowly nodded his head. The other Guardians seemed to be fully aware of this as well. "Agdar Winters...tried his best to hide the truth from his daughters. Unfortunately with his passing, he had no choice in the matter and now Elsa is set to become CEO of the company. She will learn of the full extent as to just how much of the economy Winters Financials controls in this nation."

"...Just how much?" Jack questioned.

"One-third. One-third of the economy of Burgess. Agdar Winters did his best to hide this fact from the world, but of course, other powerful families know of this through their own circle of information."

It all made sense to Jack now. He always knew that Elsa had a target on her back ever since he was assigned to protect her. Now he knew just how big that target was and just how much responsibility he had for her life. It was no surprise that the Pitchiners were relentless in having her killed. Perhaps even Hans knew of just how much power and wealth the Winters wielded.

"That's why, it is best to wait for now," Bunnymund interjected, "if we start pointing fingers at Hans, there's no telling just what kind of legal strategies his family would use against us, the Winters, and eventually towards Manny. Hans is probably waiting for an opening right now and I don't think you'd want to just give it to him."

Although Jack did not want to agree with him - he had to agree with him. With this new information, the reason to lie in wait was more appealing than it was earlier when he did not know just how vulnerable Elsa and the corporation really was. "Fine," he agreed, letting out a strangled sigh. "I'll just keep an eye on him for now."

* * *

"Another charity banquet?"

A low groan escaped from her throat. Elsa held her head as she answered Anna. "Don't remind me," she said with a smile of dismay. "I would have refused, but I thought I should start being more active in these sorts of affairs."

"But - this active?" Anna questioned, sitting across from her sister as they rode in the back of their limo, coming home from school. "I mean, you have to attend one tonight, in the middle of the week, and then another one next week."

"I would have refused this one, but Kai insisted that I attend because it's one that Weselton is hosting."

"That really short old guy that keeps bragging about how he was good friends with father?" Anna asked, snickering with a hand held up to her mouth.

"Yeah - him," Elsa replied, laughing in unison with her. "He seems hard-pressed at creating a partnership with our corporation. Kai thinks it's a good deal, but even though he's acting in father's place as CEO for now, he said he would still like for my input on it since it'll be my company soon."

Anna hummed languidly as she looked up at the ceiling of the car. She looked at Elsa again and stated, "I wish I could go. It's been awhile since we've seen Kai."

"It can't be helped. He's been busy trying to keep the corporation afloat ever since dad passed away," she replied back sadly. "I hope I can take some of the load off of his shoulders soon. He's done a good job of taking care of the corporation and us. I'd like to repay him."

"You could!" the red head exclaimed happily, trying to uplift the mood. "I know you can! You're like - the Elsa Winters!"

Elsa giggled at her sister's enthusiasm. "What's that supposed to mean? You're speaking as if I'm some sort of celebrity."

"You kinda are. Getting a Master's before you even turn 21 and being the youngest female CEO in Burgess is huge!"

Modestly, Elsa tucked a strand of blond hair behind her ear as a soft blush spread across her face from the sense of accomplishment she felt. She had worked hard over the years and it pleased her to know that it was all going to pay off in the end. This feeling empowered her - the fact that she was eventually going to be CEO of one of the most powerful corporations in the country.

"Miss Elsa, Miss Anna, we're here," Simon informed them as he pulled into the driveway of their estate. Once the limo had come to a stop, the two girls got out and thanked their elderly driver.

As he drove the limo around the large mansion to park it in the garages located at the back of the grounds, Elsa and Anna went inside, ready to rest after a long, first day back to school. At the front door they were greeted happily by Wendy, who had already come back from her family affair. She informed Elsa that Jack was home and that he was waiting for her in her study.

"Really?" Elsa questioned, handing off her heavy white coat to the elderly maid. She never really had Jack request that he speak to her - especially in her study of all places. "He's asking for me?"

"That is what he told me when he arrived home, Mistress."

Elsa looked to Anna, who simply shrugged.

"I guess I'll go see what he wants," she muttered, slowly heading towards her study.

It did strike her as strange that Jack was requesting that they talk. He would normally just come find her later and bring up a conversation casually. So for him to actually request something like this made Elsa think that it was urgent. She did know that he went to go meet with the rest of the Guardians earlier today - perhaps he learned some new information as to exactly who was out targeting her.

As Elsa arrived at the door to her study, she saw it was left open just a crack. She carefully pushed open the door, hoping to not startle him.

"...Jack?" she called out softly.

He was sitting on one of the sofas in the room, smiling when he saw her. "Elsa," he said, getting up from the sofa. "Did you have a good day at school?"

"Yeah." She raised an eyebrow slightly and asked, "did you…want to talk to me because of that?"

"No," he replied with a slight chuckle. Jack noticed how impatient she seemed, so he asked her, "sorry. Am I keeping you from something?"

"Oh - well it's just that I agreed to attend a charity dinner tonight." Elsa tried her best to sound polite, but she felt stressed at the fact that she only had roughly an hour to get ready and head to the event.

Jack sheepishly held the back of his neck. "Sorry," he apologized again, "I guess you want me to come along with?"

"Of course." Elsa checked her thin silver watch and asked, "actually, is it okay if we talk on the way over there?"

"I'd like for us to have some privacy."

"Then you can drive. I'll just tell Simon that we don't need a ride - "

"No," Jack insisted, "I'd rather talk in here."

His behavior came off as odd to her, but being pressed for time, Elsa decided not to think too much of it. She shut the door behind her, immersing them in darkness and silence with the only source of light being a dim lamp in one corner of the room. Her blue eyes were set on his face, which was illuminated just slightly by the warm orange light provided by the lamp, highlighting his prominent facial features. His gaze seemed pensive as his dark blue eyes rested on her for a while before he looked off to the side.

"Is there anyway that you could skip out on going to the event tonight?"

Elsa wrinkled her brow. "Excuse me?" She looked at him as if he had gone crazy. Silently, she studied his face, wondering just what was going through his mind that would prompt him to ask such an incredulous question. "Jack," she started, a firmness in her voice, "I'm not canceling. I've already told Kai that I'm going. Weselton's hosting it and he's expecting me to be there as well." She eyed him with suspicion for a while before asking, "is there something you want to tell me, Jack?"

His behavior was off-putting to say the least - as if he was hiding something.

"Jack," she said, demandingly. "Unless you tell me why you've asked to meet with me and why you're suddenly asking me to cancel such an important meeting, I'm going to lea - "

"Do you know just how important your father's corporation is?"

"What?"

"Winters Financials controls one-third of Burgess' economy," Jack stated, grimly. "I know that you had a target on your back for your entire life, Elsa...I just didn't know how big it was until today."

This was news to her. Although she knew that all her life she was living in luxury, being sent to the most prestigious of private academies, and buying everything to her heart's content, she never really knew just how rich her family was. She was not aware of this startling fact either - about the financial power that she was about to control. "One-third," she whispered, feeling her hands get clammy with a cold sweat.

Jack saw how nervous she looked. "...A lot more people are going to come after you once you gain full power over the corporation. You're going to be living your life in constant fear. Are you sure you're up for something like that?"

"...Huh?" Elsa was confused with the manner of Jack's conversation. It was as if he was questioning her ability to lead the corporation in the future.

She slowly clenched her fists.

"Are you sure you'd want to put Anna's life in that much danger too - ?"

"I'm sure."

Taken aback by her sudden, confident response, Jack looked at her, bewildered. He was not expecting such an answer from her. Admittedly, he was getting used to the withdrawn, meek, obedient Elsa - the one that he had to protect all the time. He noticed a different look in her eyes as she stared back at him - fearless and assertive.

"Anna's life, my life - I'll take full responsibility for it all," Elsa continued. Her voice was unwavering, as was her gaze. "No matter what...I will become CEO. It's not only what my father would have wanted, but it's also what I want."

It was a new found strength. It was one that surprised not only Jack, but also herself. Elsa did not know that she could say such words with that much confidence. She welcomed the change however. It shot a rush of adrenaline through her body, much like the same rush she felt when she hit Edwin in front of the courthouse.

"And I'm going to go to the charity dinner tonight, Jack - with or without you," she boldly stated. "You can follow me if you want, but don't you dare stop me."

The white haired man stared at her, then closed his eyes as he let out a defeated sigh. "It can't be helped, huh?" His gentle demeanor seemed to come back as he flashed the warm smile that she was accustomed to. "You better get dressed then."

Elsa blinked at him, confusion written all over her face at his change in personality. For a while earlier, it felt like he was dissuading her with such a foreboding tone that it sounded like he would threaten her any second. However, now he was back to his encouraging, happy-go-lucky, usual self.

Jack picked up on her confusion and he laughed it off. "Sorry. I just wanted to test you."

"Test me?"

"Honestly, I wasn't completely sold on the fact that you could become CEO or if you were even serious about it - especially when the Guardians told me today about the real details about your father's corporation. It's a huge burden. I just wanted to see if you were completely on board with it," he explained, seeing the tension on Elsa's face slowly disappearing. "...Although I don't mind protecting you as your bodyguard, my job isn't to coddle you - it's to help you grow...and I'm glad that you are." He smiled at her as he held his hands up in a gesture of defeat. "You've convinced me, Ice Queen."

Elsa frowned at him. "Were you seriously just joking around?" she asked skeptically.

All he did was chuckle playfully in response, earning him a grimace full of disdain from her.

"Jeez, Jack - seriously?" she said as he laughed again, leading her out of the study so that she could go get ready for the dinner. "Don't joke around like that. I honestly thought that you were being serious," she scolded, "I'm under a lot of stress you know!"

"I know, I know."

"I mean it, Jack! I have another event to attend next week too! I'd like it if you could lay off the jokes!"

Jack grabbed the doorknob to the study, closing the door behind him as he and Elsa left the room. In a cleverly constructed facade, he continued to laugh and playfully respond to her firm scolding.

His mask broke momentarily in a single fleeting glance - focused directly on Elsa's desk.

* * *

"Thank you all for attending this evening's charity dinner - hosted by Weselton Properties, of course." The short statured elderly man chortled as he stood at the podium. He brought up a single glass of champagne towards the dozens of guests who were all seated around various round tables. "Let us toast, for prosperity and generosity for the years to come."

A round of glasses clinking against each other went through the large meeting hall.

Weselton took a sip of his champagne. "Please, enjoy the dinner and desserts later on and thank you all for your contributions this evening. All proceeds will go to the foundations listed in this evening's brochure."

The guests lowered their drinks and an idle chatter began throughout the hall, everyone talking amongst themselves with whoever was sitting with them at their table. Elsa sat beside Kai and Jack, along with several other guests who she did not know. She set her untouched champagne glass on the table and waited until quietly until her corporation's vice president finished drinking his beverage.

Kai set his half-empty glass down on the table and asked Elsa, "you're not going to have yours?"

She shook her head, politely refusing. "I'm...still underaged, sir."

"Right, right," he muttered to himself as he shot a glance over at Jack, who also politely refused, saying that he had a low tolerance for alcohol. Kai cleared his throat and let out a soft chuckle. "Sorry," he said to Elsa, "it just seemed like time flew by. It feels like just yesterday that I saw you when you were just learning how to walk with your father helping you."

"Yes," she replied, giggling fondly at the memories of her childhood. "I have to remind myself that you've been with us for over 20 years now."

"I wish it could have been for longer." Kai took another sip of his champagne just as several of the wait staff brought out the first course. He waited until the masses of plates and silverware clanking dulled down before speaking once more, his voice lowered into a somber whisper. "It is...very unfortunate about what happened to Adgar, as well as Idun. They were good people."

Mustering up a little smile, Elsa nodded. "Thank you." She nibbled on the delectable appetizer, tasting the sweet herbs that filled her mouth. She had thought that the delicious food would keep the depressing thoughts at bay, but it had failed to do anything. Even though it had been several years now since the death of her parents, she still could not shake off the saddening loneliness that lurched in her stomach whenever the topic was brought up.

The middle-aged man quickly attempted to change the subject, sensing her discomfort. "I understand that you are in the process of getting your Master's degree?"

"One more year," she replied.

"That's quite amazing."

Elsa blushed a little. "Thank you. I just want to prepare myself as much as I can before I take over the corporation."

"You're more than free to come by the corporation. I can start introducing you to the basics and we can go from there," Kai offered up, smiling when he saw Elsa's eyes lighting up.

"A-Are you sure, sir?" she asked hesitantly. "I know you must be busy with what my father has left you with - "

"Teaching you the ropes and helping you become the best CEO you can be is part of my job too," the black haired man answered. "How about you come in every Friday starting next week?" he suggested to her.

The platinum blond eagerly nodded, enthusiastic of finally being able to be involved with her father's corporation. "I would love that!" she exclaimed.

Kai chuckled at her. He went back to eating his appetizer and asked as he picked at a sauteed mussel, "I thought it would be helpful for me and for you to be a part of the negotiations with Weselton. The offer sounds good to me, but I thought you would like some input in it as well."

"Will we be discussing that on Friday?"

"Yes and - " Kai lowered his voice an octave, whispering, "I know this is rather last minute, but with you stepping in as a new CEO soon, would you like for me to find a lawyer for you? You see, a trusted one is needed and valuable to say the least."

"Doesn't the corporation have a legal team of its own?"

"Yes, well, that's the thing," he let out an awkward chuckle, " - most of the legal team retired or left once your father passed away. Although it's nothing personal towards you, Elsa, a lot of them had very little confidence that a new, young CEO will help the company prosper."

Jack glanced at Elsa and saw her tightly pursing her lips together at this revelation. She seemed distraught, but he understood why. It was definitely a blow to her confidence. Even before she can even start as the new CEO, people were leaving the corporation due to a lack of trust in her.

"Miss Winters!"

Snapping her out of her thoughts, Elsa raised her head and saw Weselton quickly approaching their table. A broad smile was stretched across his face as he took a seat beside Kai, whom he also greeted with the same amount of vigor. The old man's bright gray eyes flickered with excitement as he looked to both the vice president and the future CEO of Winters Financials.

"I apologize for being held up. I've tried to make it back to my seat after the announcement, but I suppose everyone wants a few words with me this evening," he said, ending with a happy chortle.

"It's fine," Kai answered with a kind smile. "The food so far is delicious and this event is well-organized," he commented, broadening Weselton's proud smile.

"Why thank you. I've made sure to get the very best chefs and event planners to work on this charity dinner. The one next week will be even bigger!" He spoke in a very grandiose manner, almost to the point of coming off as show-offy, but neither Kai or Elsa paid very much attention to it. Weselton focused his attention to Elsa and asked, "you did receive my invitation for it, Miss Winters?"

"Ah, yes." She smiled. "Thank you for inviting me."

Weselton waved his hand. "No need. You are invited to any other future events I may hold, even if I do not physically extend an invitation to you. The future CEO of Winters Financials is always a VIP, I assure you."

Embarrassed by the high praise, Elsa giggled uncomfortably, but tried to take the comment in stride. "Thank you, that's very generous."

"Of course, only the best for my valued business partner."

As the appetizers were taken away and the main course was brought out, Jack took the time to look around the large meeting hall at the other guests. Everyone was dressed lavishly, even though it was a simple dinner - in his opinion at least. Amongst the white clothed tables and smiling guests, one particular one caught his eye.

Hans.

Jack pretended as if he did not notice the auburn haired man, but unfortunately he made eye contact with him. It was a kind smile that he saw on Hans' face, but Jack eyed him with suspicion and all he saw was a smirk with hidden intentions. Even though he tried to remain stoic, as to not interrupt the atmosphere around the table he was sitting at, Elsa took notice of his change in expression.

"Jack?"

"Huh?"

"Is...something wrong?" she tilted her head slightly to the side, curiously staring at him with her round blue eyes. "You looked kind of angry just now."

"Ah, n-no," he said, laughing it off. "I - uh - I think I just need to go to the restroom," he said, suddenly getting up from his seat.

Elsa looked at him with concern, finding his behavior odd. "Okay then…" She did not question him because there was no time to do so. In a matter of seconds after he spoke, Jack had already left the table.

There was a tugging suspicion in the back of Elsa's head. She thought with his line of questioning earlier and the erratic way that he was acting now, there was definitely something that was making him act this way and Elsa was determined to find out why he was acting in such a way.

As Kai and Weselton were immersed in a deep conversation about something unrelated to work, Elsa stood up from her seat as well.

"I'm sorry, Mister Weselton," she said, "I need to excuse myself for a few minutes."

"Of course. Take your time!"

"Thank you."

In a brisk walk, Elsa left the table and headed out into the hallway, leaving the bustling meeting hall behind her. She turned down in a random direction in search of the restrooms, hoping to run into Jack along the way. Neither him or the restrooms showed up in her prolonged search. Tired and getting frustrated with how this building was built like a neverending maze, Elsa elected to retrace her steps and go back towards the meeting hall. With a sigh of defeat, she dragged her feet, the soles of her seafoam green heels tapping lightly against the dark hardwood floors with each step.

"Oh, Elsa - !"

She raised her head and widened her eyes at the sight of a familiar face. "Hans?" Elsa waited until he walked up to her, a beaming smile on his face. "What are you doing here?" she asked.

"I could ask the same for you," he said with a light chuckle. "My father dragged me to this thing, You?"

"Unfortunately I came here on my own free will," Elsa replied, forcing an awkward smile. This was probably the first time she carried on a full conversation with Hans and frankly, she was not quite sure of what to say or how to even act considering that he was her little sister's boyfriend.

"Oh I see, and Anna?"

"Home." The young woman dryly laughed as she tucked a piece of her platinum blond hair behind her ear. "Probably a good decision on her part."

"Right?" Hans chuckled in agreement. After a short pause, he asked Elsa, "would you like to step outside with me for a bit? Just to get some fresh air. There was an outdoor balcony just a few hallways down."

She nodded, deciding that it would be a good idea, considering on how stuffy it was inside the building.

As soon as they reached the balcony, Hans opened up the doors leading outside and took in a large breath of air. Gently, he exhaled and smiled at her. "Sorry, I just didn't feel like going back so soon."

Elsa giggled, following him to the railing. "I feel the same way." The cold night air felt so nice to her. It tingled against her pale skin and even though she did not have her fluffy white shawl over her bare shoulders, she hardly felt cold. With a soft sigh, she leaned her elbows down on the stone railing that overlooked a shallow valley. In the immediate distance, she saw the flickering lights of downtown Arendelle. It looked beautiful from this viewpoint.

Hans seemed to notice her staring at the view of the city and his eyes followed hers. He looked out at the lights and asked, "beautiful from this place, isn't it?"

"Of course."

She stared at a single tall building that stood out from the rest of the buildings of downtown Arendelle. It looked like a spire, sharply piercing through the skyline and glowing a soft blue, illuminated by a series of beautiful LED panels. It made it look like it was crafted out of pure ice.

The auburn haired man took notice as well and commented, "it's the most beautiful building in Arendelle - Winters Financials."

"Yes," she muttered, dropping her gaze solemnly.

"Does that bother you?" Hans asked, worried by her sudden drop in mood.

"N-No," Elsa quickly answered, "it makes me proud that such a building belongs to my family. It makes me even more proud that my great-grandfather was the one that built it when Arendelle was founded. The corporation has been passed down from him, to my grandfather... to my mother, and now...to me."

"Your mother?" Hans asked, shocked at this fact.

The platinum blond gave him a little smile and nodded. "She did not want the responsibilities of running a corporation, nor did she have the desire to become a CEO, so she delegated the duties over to my father once they got married. He was more than happy to take on her last name, rather than the traditional way around. I suppose being a Winters has its benefits…"

"That's...amazing."

Elsa remained silent, keeping her ice blue eyes on her nicely manicured nails as she rested them on the railing. "It is," she finally commented, "every generation managed to grow the company, make it even more than what it was in the previous generation. It's grown tremendously and as it continues growing…" she drew out a long sigh, "...the weight on my shoulders increase."

Realizing what had just slipped out of her mouth, Elsa quickly apologized for the dark turn their conversation took.

"It's okay," Hans said, lightly laughing. "I actually understand completely, Elsa."

"...You...do?" she asked apprehensively.

A forlorn sigh escaped him as his green eyes rested on the view of the city. "Although I'm in a different situation, aren't we all the same? Just because we're born into a wealthy family, people assume that we're a bunch of spoiled rich kids spending mommy and daddy's money without restraint. They think that we don't deserve such wealth and even amongst each other, we don't think we deserve it."

Elsa thought back to what Edwin had told her when he had her captive. It was exactly what he said to her and what he thought about her.

"Right," she answered, nodding.

"But - each of us, we're all working hard. Even though I have so many older brothers, I do my part to uphold my family's name. I will probably never truly own my father's lawfirm as a whole, but that's the price to pay as the last child of a family, right?"

Elsa giggled softly in response. She played with the end of her thick braid and replied, "I suppose. I can't say I relate to that being a first born."

Hans let out a low chuckle. "But you know what I'm trying to get at here." He smiled as he placed a hand on Elsa's shoulder as a sign of silent reassurance. "Elsa - the weight you carry doesn't have to be all on your own. You can share it, there are people more than willing to help out."

She gave him a little smile, feeling grateful for the helpful, gentle words he was providing her. Although initially, Elsa was distrustful of him because of his sudden interest in dating her younger sister, she was starting to warm up to him. It was starting to become clear as to why Anna was so madly in love with him. Hans was not that bad of a person like she had thought he was -

"Elsa."

Both Hans and Elsa looked over at the entrance to the balcony, alerted by the sudden male voice.

"Jack," she said, seeing her bodyguard walking up to her. She initially had a smile upon her face at the sight of him, but it quickly disappeared when she saw him shoot a rather mean glare over to Hans. "...Jack?" she whispered, confused at his hostility.

Elsa widened her eyes as Jack protectively wrapped his arm around her shoulder and grabbed Hans' wrist. He pulled the other man's hand away from her, all the while, still keeping an icy cold glare on him.

"Elsa...go back to the meeting hall," Jack said sternly, never once looking at her.

"Uh - "

"Kai and Weselton are waiting for you," he stated, silently urging her to leave.

Hans sneered slightly at the white haired man. "I was just having a heartfelt chat with Elsa here. What's with the hostility, Jack?" he asked him casually.

Jack did not answer as he let Elsa go. "Go," he told her again, hearing her hesitant footsteps behind him.

Elsa, worried that the two men would start fighting, stayed where she was. What finally got her to leave was Hans smiling at her, silently telling her that nothing would happen.

"Thank you for speaking with me, Elsa. It was a nice talk," he told her with a kind gaze.

"Yes…" she replied back softly. With one last glance, Elsa put her trust in both him and Jack to not cause a scene, and quickly left the balcony as her bodyguard had told her to do.

Even with Elsa long gone, Jack kept his grip tightly around Hans' wrist. The other man showed no discomfort at this and instead, kept his eyes coolly on the bodyguard. His thin lips curled into a crooked smile. "She's gone, you know," he stated.

Unwillingly, Jack let go of his wrist and scowled at the young man as he watched him straighten out his cream colored suit. As Hans pulled on the lapel of his blazer, he shot a sideways glance over to him and chuckled at the sour expression he held. "What's the matter, Jack? Are you still unhappy with how Sera treated you the other day?"

The young man narrowed his blue eyes at him. "Don't play dumb with me."

"Am I? Sorry," Hans responded with a light chuckle. He turned away and looked out at the shallow valley. A light wind stirred, blowing past the two men.

Jack felt his white bangs tickle his forehead and eyebrows. The wind agitated the tense atmosphere between them, but he kept a deadly focused gaze on Hans, waiting for him to speak once more.

"Quite the catch, aren't they?"

"Excuse me?"

"The two Winters sisters - Elsa and Anna." Hans smugly grinned at Jack and turned his attention back out to the view. "They're quite different from each other, but they both have their own attractive qualities. Although, I do prefer Anna over Elsa, so you don't need to worry. Elsa's all yours."

Jack looked away from him, glaring at the ground, when the other man flashed him a cocky smirk.

At this, Hans threw his head back and let out a low, smooth laugh. He held a loose fist over his mouth, attempting to stifle his laughter after a while. Once his laughter died down, Hans looked over at Jack and cooed, "oh - don't be so sensitive. We're both on the same boat - "

"No were not," Jack suddenly said. He snarled at the other man, "our goals aren't even comparable!"

"Oh?" Hans lightly tapped his index finger on the stone railing and asked with an amused smile, "do you think your goals are better than mine? That yours is for a noble cause?"

"I'm not doing this for greed like you are!" he lashed out vehemently.

"And that automatically makes you justified in what you're doing?" Hans stifled down a laugh again. "You're good at lying to everyone, but yourself." His green eyes narrowed as his haughty smile grew. "What? You think just because you're doing this for the sake of your parents that you're some sort of saint? Sorry to tell you this, Jack, but you're just as rotten as I am, probably even worse. At least I haven't tricked a defenseless girl into thinking that you're madly in love with her." He saw the change in expression on Jack's face and he smirked. Hans eyed Jack for a bit before asking, "...Do you love her, Jack? Surely you know that it's against the rule to actually fall in love with her."

Jack did not answer him, but he seemed visibly affected by the question.

He chuckled, sneering at the bodyguard. "I must say, I'm impressed. You were the last person I suspected. I even nearly killed you when I sent those mercenaries after you and Elsa. Well - all water under the bridge, right?" Hans was having fun and he made sure that Jack was aware of this fact by continuously poking and teasing him with words. The silence that Jack was providing him with only served to fuel Hans' amusement. "I was actually going to have Sera kill you, you know."

Jack shot him a dirty look at how bluntly he had told him this. He was starting to grow aware of the fact that Hans was getting amused by all this and it disgusted Jack in all honesty. "Is that so?" he answered in a calm mutter, trying to keep his voice under control as to appear unfazed.

"Hm," Hans answered, smirking. He looked up at the starry night sky again. "But now that we're working towards a common goal, I suppose that isn't necessary. You're lucky that a little birdie told me a day after the attack on the Winters' estate. I was going to have you killed soon."

"How generous of you," Jack replied dryly, the sarcasm heavy in his voice. "And why did this 'little birdie' tell you everything about me?"

" _You know_ ," Hans replied, shrugging nonchalantly, further annoying Jack. Brushing off some dust from his cream colored jacket, Hans waved his hand nonchalantly. "Well, I should start heading back. You too - Elsa might get worried."

Clenching his fists tightly, Jack stepped forward, blocking Hans' way and shouted, "answer me!"

"He insisted that it be kept a secret - "

"Bullshit!" Jack impulsively grabbed a hold of Han's shirt collar. His blue eyes were narrowed in a dangerous gaze that was as sharp as a dagger.

"Oh? The puppet's quite rebellious," he commented with a slight chuckle, not seeming like he was the least bit threatened by Jack's use of physical force. Instead of fear, Hans' green eyes stared back at Jack's own with an air of haughtiness. "Know your place, bodyguard," Hans said in a dangerous whisper to him. "You're nothing, but a pathetic little nobody that managed to crawl his way into luxury by being a little girl's pampered lapdog."

The white haired man furrowed his brow, flinching at Hans' words slightly. His hold loosened.

"You've tricked Elsa, Anna, the people you call your family for so long of what kind of person you are - kind, noble, selfless, gentle - that you believe that you are some sort of saint?" Hans chuckled lowly at first, but his laughter grew in volume and intensity gradually. Eventually, he stopped abruptly and let out a sharp sigh before flashing Jack a sneer. "Don't fucking kid yourself. You're not a saint, Jack. You're nothing, but a traitor - a heartless one at that. So don't pretend that you're better than me. We're one and the same."

Jack froze to the spot, loosening his hold on Hans' shirt collar enough so that the young man could pull away from his grip. "...You're...wrong," he muttered past his cold, dead lips. The blood retreated from his face as he faced the reality he tried so hard to force away.

"You've been tricking other people for so long that you're unaware of just what kind of twisted, filthy person you really are, Jack. The reality is - you're selfish, probably even more selfish than me. You're willing to disregard everyone else and put your needs first."

His blue eyes wide with the fear of realization, Jack shook his head and shouted, "you're wrong - !"

"Am I?" Hans shot back quickly with an air of arrogance. "You're willing to play with Elsa's heart with no regards to her feelings. You're willing to live this life of lie and deceit just for the slim possibility that you will be able to avenge your parent's deaths - and you say I'm the one that's doing this for greedy and impure intentions? " He broke out into a loud laughter, startling Jack. "You're a real piece of work, Jack Frost." Hans sharply sighed, ceasing his laughter immediately, but the smug grin on his face remaining as he studied Jack's horrified expression on his normally relaxed face. "It's pathetic - truly pathetic! You think that you're doing people a favor by not involving them in this mess you've gotten yourself into? Please, spare me the honorable knight act! "

Jack let out a little startled gasp when he felt Hans' heavy hand on his shoulder. Ominously, he heard his voice close to his ear whisper one single word.

"Traitor."

The auburn haired man chuckled darkly when he brushed past Jack, smirking at his reaction to the word. He left the bodyguard at the balcony, heading back inside to the dinner party. To say that Hans felt satisfied with how things were turning out was a huge understatement. He had the trust of both the Winters' sisters now and his biggest obstacle to his goal - Jack - turned out to be an ally that was easily controllable.

He did not know the name of the person that had tipped him off on such valuable information, nor did he know of the reasons as to why this mysterious person suddenly decided to contact him, but Hans figured that answers to those questions could wait until he gains control of Winters Financials. For now, he decided to use this information to his own advantage.

The sneering grin he had on his face instantly vanished as he reentered the meeting hall and met up with Elsa, who had been standing by worriedly at the entrance. "Elsa," he addressed her kindly, now a gentle smile on his face.

"Where's Jack?" she asked him, her eyebrows knitted together in concern.

"He'll be here soon." Hans saw the lingering distress in her blue eyes and he reassured her further. "Don't worry," he explained, "we didn't fight. Jack just seemed to be in discomfort, that's all."

"O-Oh," Elsa answered, relaxing slightly at the sound of Hans' smooth, lighthearted chuckle. She glanced down the hallway quickly and excused herself. "Sorry Hans, I'll have to go check up on him."

"Of course." Hans let her go with a soft smile that oozed sweetness. He watched her hastily walk down the hallway and turn a corner, disappearing from his view. By then, he let out a soft, amused scoff through his nose and rejoined the charity dinner languidly as if nothing had happened.

* * *

Jack looked down at the cold, shallow valley below the balcony - listlessly. A wind blew through again. It felt chillier than the previous ones, like sharp knives piercing his exposed face and hands. He, however, ignored the painful cold and continued to stay out there by himself, finding peace and comfort in his loneliness.

Accompanied only by the moon, Jack tilted his head back to look up at it. His blue eyes squinted a little at the brilliance of the full moon's light. It hurt to look at now.

"Jack?"

He turned slightly at the sound of Elsa's soft voice. He made no sudden movements or any verbal reaction at the sight of the beautiful blond. Seeing her right now only brought him more pain and guilt.

She approached him cautiously, uneasy at the silence he was giving her. "...Jack?" she repeated his name when she came up to his side. Elsa curiously peered over at his face, catching only the sight of his side profile as he looked out at the dark valley. Her small hand hesitated over her chest, but she eventually sought to reach out to him.

Jack visibly flinched at her touch, the feeling of her hand over his own. He looked at her and saw her blue eyes glistening slightly with worry.

"Is everything okay?"

"...Yeah," he muttered passively, avoiding her prying eyes. Jack widened his eyes when he felt Elsa place a light kiss on his lips. He looked to her as she pulled away.

"Liar," she whispered, squeezing his ice cold hand. "You know...we can tell each other everything, right? I thought that's what we agreed on." Elsa saw him avoiding her gaze again and she let out a soft sigh at this. "It's not good to lie so much."

He felt his heart rate speeding up at her words. Jack began to wonder if he had been found out. Had Hans tipped her off about him?

"I want to know what's troubling you, so that we can share the burden. You shouldn't have to suffer by yourself, Jack. You've been so helpful to me since my father assigned you to be my bodyguard and I'd like to return the favor."

The guilt was starting to eat at his conscious. "...You don't have to," he answered.

"I do. I want to," Elsa reaffirmed. She brought his hand up to her face and gently nuzzled it. "Just because you're the knight and I'm the princess doesn't mean that you need to do all the protecting. Our roles can be interchangeable," she stated, stepping in close to him. "I can be your protector if you cannot - "

Jack felt her capture his lips in a warm kiss. He staggered back, but he felt Elsa hold onto his hand tightly, preventing him from pulling away. He panted lightly with a half-lidded gaze as she pulled away, allowing him time to recover.

Her eyes were fixed on him as she raised both of her hands up to his head. She cradled his face for a moment before sliding them around, running her fingers through his soft white hair.

He shivered at this loving gesture, despite the guilt that was festering inside of him. When he felt Elsa kiss him again, this time more passionately, he hid this growing guilt cleverly behind the mask he had worn for the past few years.

Jack returned the kiss, pulling the young woman in close by her waist. She was enticing, but he knew that he could not succumb to her - physically or romantically. He did not have the right to fall in love with her -

\- not when he was told that the Winters were responsible for killing his parents and orphaning him.


	18. The Smiling Mask

**Marionette**

 **Chapter 18 - The Smiling Mask**

 _Warnings: None_

* * *

 _'...It was cold...it was dark…'_

Why were some people born lucky, while others were born unlucky? What determined the circumstances of one's birth?

It was a series of questions that Jack asked himself every single day. Growing up in an orphanage and growing up without knowing who his real parents weighed heavily on him ever since he could remember. He never knew what it felt like to be loved or how to love.

He was as cold as he looked physically and the kids at the orphanage were not blind to that.

 _"Don't touch him, you might freeze!"_

 _"Is his hair made out of ice? Is that why your hair's so freakishly white, Jack?"_

 _"Creepy!"_

He was the odd one out. Everyone else had warm complexions, normal hair colors, and they were more social. Jack was the complete opposite of all those things. He was pale, his skin color only rivalled by his stark white hair, and he rarely tried to make friends because the few times that he did actually try, he was hurt in the end.

He would find out that the kids would make bets with one another to "befriend" him, like it was some sort of dare, like he was not even human. It was a blow to his confidence and Jack became reclusive, withdrawn. He saw no point in befriending anyone or forming relationships with others. Everyone was going to hurt him eventually…

 _'...it was lonely…'_

Luckily, some of the staff and volunteers at the orphanage noticed how Jack would always sit away from the other children and be by himself all the time, so they took care of him. They would allow him to help them with chores around the orphanage or take care of some of the infants.

Jack did not mind. He liked this better than being stuck outside with a group of kids that thought he was a freak of nature. He grew a liking for the adult staffers because they expressed a genuine liking for him back. They made him feel loved - wanted.

Of course he realized soon that not all adults were accepting of him as the staff at the orphanage.

He could tell that the visiting couples, eager to adopt a child, were none too friendly with him. They never said anything to his face, but Jack overheard them speaking to the staff members.

"Jack's very sweet and quiet," a staff member insisted.

"Yes, but - he frankly looks ill. Is he? He just looks strange compared to the other children."

 _'...I'm unwanted...'_

Jack made it a habit to look up at the moon every night. It brought him some degree of comfort from his life within the orphanage. Sometimes he simply looked up at it and sometimes he engaged it in a conversation, although knowing that it would not respond back. Of course, some of the other kids knew about this and it became another subject for them to tease him over. However, at this point, Jack did not care anymore. He was nearly at his breaking point.

On this particular night, Jack sat by the window of the large bedroom that he shared with several other children. He sat on the cold floor, not really minding the chilly winter air that wafted around the room. His knees were pulled up to his chest and his round blue eyes stared up at the moon for a moment before he lowered them sadly.

"You know…" he whispered, gently squeezing his arms around his knees. "I didn't ask to be here."

Tears starting pooling in his eyes and Jack stifled his cries by burying his mouth and nose against his knees. His vision grew blurry to the point where he could not see anything in front of him.

"I didn't ask to look like this...I want to change but - ...I...I can't help it, so why - !?" The little boy cried silently to himself, his narrow shoulders shaking as he tried desperately to wipe away his tears with the sleeves of his light blue pajamas.

 _'...Nobody will ever love me...'_

* * *

"Don't be shy, Jack!" a staff member lightly laughed at the little boy that was hiding behind her leg. "This nice man wants to adopt you," she said, motioning over to a large, burly man.

Jack trembled in fear as he looked over at the large man, his stature intimidated the little boy. He immediately noticed the way he was lavishly dressed. A black fur hat was sitting upon his small head and his entire body was covered in a huge red and black fur coat. His blue eyes darted up to the man's face and he found himself relaxing slightly at the sight of his smile. It was a gentle one, one that made a warm feeling swell up inside of Jack's heart.

"What is your name?" the man asked in a thick Russian accent. He knelt down so that he could be at Jack's level and to appear less intimidating.

The white haired boy loosened his hold around the staff member's leg when he locked eyes with the man's soft gray-blue irises.

"J - Jack," he shyly whispered, his round, chubby cheeks tinted in a slight pink color.

"Jack," the man repeated, smiling deeply. "My name is Nicholas."

He wrinkled his thin eyebrows as he struggled to repeat the man's name. It was hard because of the man's accent.

A deep laugh erupted from him as he clutched at his rotund stomach. "It is fine. Just call me North."

Jack had thought this strange Russian man was enough excitement for one day, but once he was brought "home" to what would soon be known to him as the Guardians' HQ, he was in for an even bigger surprise.

"He's so cute!"

The young boy stared wide-eyed at the young, green-haired woman that flitted around him like an excited hummingbird. She held her own face as she stared at him, happily cooing and blushing. She seemed ecstatic to see him, although Jack was not sure why at the time.

"Stop it, Tooth. You're scaring him," a tall, lanky man said with a roll of his light green eyes. He stood off to the side, coolly leaning against one of the long tables as he quietly seemed to study Jack with an uninterested gaze.

The green-haired woman huffed as she whipped around to meet the Australian man. "I'm only trying to lighten up the mood! He's clearly uncomfortable and shy, Bunny!" she scolded him, slapping him lightly on the arm.

Jack made a mental note that they all had weird names that were only rivalled by their odd appearances, but he did not mind. He felt comfortable around these people. None of them had made a single negative comment about his own appearance and frankly, it looked as if they did not care at all.

 _'...I was happy for the first time in my life...'_

* * *

"My name's Jaime, what's yours?"

Apprehensively, Jack remained silent, simply staring at the excitable little boy that was practically bouncing off the walls in front of him. He saw him rocking back and forth on his feet, eventually resorting to slight hop when he got impatient for his response.

"That's okay if you don't want to say it!" he exclaimed, suddenly taking Jack's hand and leading him towards the playground. He sprinted across the grassy lawn of the public park, pulling at his hand as he did so. "My mommy said that not everyone likes to talk like I do!"

Jack continued to remain silent as this boy, Jaime, finally let go of his hand and practically flew over to the monkey bars.

It had been five years since he began living with North and the others. Although he was completely open and comfortable with them, Jack was still cautious around other kids his age. The verbal bullying and the fake friendships the other children back at the orphanage did a number to his confidence in socialization and provided him with a dark outlook on forming relationships with other people.

Everyone was going to hurt him sooner or later…

"...Do you smile?"

Jack looked over to Jaime, who was curiously staring at him with his round brown eyes. They seemed to sparkle slightly, catching the light from the quickly setting sun. He thought it was odd for someone as young as Jaime was asking that to him, but he made no comments on it.

"You should smile," the brunette boy told him.

"...Why…?" Jack asked. His face was sullen and his blue eyes looked devoid of any emotion as he stared at the ground. "I'm not happy or anything right now - " He paused when he realized how insulting that must have sounded to Jaime, especially when the young boy was trying really hard for the entire day to entertain Jack. Blushing, he turned away quickly and stammered out, "I - I mean, I had fun today, but - !"

However, Jaime seemed to gloss over it. He seemed more concerned with Jack's answer. "You should still smile, even when you're sad."

Jack furrowed his brow. "Wha - ?" It did not make sense to him.

"My mommy told me," Jaime said with a broad smile as if he was proud of it. "She said, even if you're sad...or mad...you should still smile. Because then you'll eventually be happy."

* * *

"...Ja...ck? Jack…?"

The white haired man felt a slight nudge on his shoulder, arousing him from his sleep. He blinked several times and realized that all of the Winters' household servants eyes were on him.

Anna, who stood at the front of the room, sighed at him, visibly irritated that he had fallen asleep on her. "Jack, did you hear me?"

He blinked again. "...Uhh…" Jack looked to Simon, who was the one that nudged him out of his daydream, for help. However, the elderly chauffeur looked away, not providing him with an answer.

The strawberry blond let her eyes settle on Jack, who shrunk back in his seat a little under the intensity of her gaze. Her normally cheerful blue eyes were narrowed in an annoyed glare at him as she snapped out, "I know it's late, but this is the only time to do this since Elsa's asleep."

She slapped the large poster board that was hanging with a crude piece of tape on a wall in the parlor room where everyone had congregated at. The noise was so loud and sudden that it caught everyone's full attention. On top of the poster board were a series of letters written in a thick, black permanent marker which read out -

 _ **BIRTHDAY PLANS**_

Underneath the huge title was a list of various things that everyone had brainstormed up together for the "huge surprise party" that Anna was trying to plan for Elsa.

"Her birthday is less than a week away!" she exclaimed, pacing in front of the small crowd. Jack thought that she sounded like a professor stressing to her students to study for an upcoming exam. "I know it's going to be hard, but if I get everyone's full cooperation, we can pull it off!"

A wave of agreement swept through the parlor. At this, Anna grinned.

"So - we'll have another meeting tomorrow to finalize the plans and then the next few days, I want everyone to do the job that they're assigned! And remember, not a word of this to Elsa! It has to be a complete surprise!"

Jack stayed behind as Anna dismissed all the other servants for the night. He smiled at the young girl, commenting, "you're working awfully hard on Elsa's birthday."

Anna gave him a sharp nod of her head, a determined look in her eyes. "Of course! Elsa always threw me nice birthday parties the past few years, I'd just like to return the favor." As she ripped down the taped poster board and rolled it up, she paused and faced Jack with a question. "You can get those streamers, right?"

"Yeah."

"They _have_ to be the light blue ones with silver sparkles, Jack."

He chuckled softly. "I know. I'll make a trip out to the next city over tomorrow to get them."

"You better hide them well. I know you're picking Elsa up from the corporation tomorrow." Anna tapped the rolled up poster board on her shoulder lightly with a stern expression on her face. She stood before him as if she was his drill sergeant handing out orders. In a way, Jack felt like she was.

"Yes, ma'am," he replied with a lighthearted laugh.

Anna answered back with a scowl. "I'm serious, Jack!" she scolded with a sharp tongue. "This party needs to be the best birthday my sister's ever had! She's always let me throw amazing birthday parties the past few years, so this is my way of repaying her. I can't screw this up!"

Jack agreed with another lighthearted laugh. "I understand, Anna."

"Good," she said triumphantly, puffing out her chest with a proud grin on her face. She decided to turn in for the night, as did Jack, so the pair went upstairs towards the bedrooms together. Along the way, Anna asked him, "did you get a present yet?"

He shook his head. "No, but I had something in mind - "

"Is it another hairpin?" she questioned flatly without missing a beat. Anna saw him sheepishly holding the back of his neck as he looked away from her. Even though he did not provide a verbal response, she already knew that was what he was thinking about. An exasperated sigh escaped her. "You got her a hairpin literally like - every year for her birthday since you two met."

Jack opened his mouth to protest, but he immediately closed it when he realized that Anna was right. He had gotten Elsa a hairpin every single year - one year it was a snowflake, then a cute polar bear, then another snowflake - the list went on.

"Don't get her a hairpin this year," Anna ordered him.

"But she likes them."

The young girl rolled her azure blue eyes, adding in a soft scoff at the end for good measure. "Just because she thanks you for it, doesn't mean that you should get her that every year. There's only so many hairpins a girl can wear, you know."

Jack pouted a little, genuinely confused as to what was wrong with getting Elsa hairpins every year. He wanted to ask Anna what was exactly wrong with it, but he was afraid of getting snapped at again. Instead, he said with a tired sigh, "fine, I'll get her something else this year."

"Good - " Anna let out a soft gasp, breaking her sentence and suddenly stopping Jack. They were just a few feet away from the door to Elsa's study. She silently pointed at the dim light that filtered out from the crack underneath the door. "Crap, she's still awake," the red head hissed under her breath, nervously biting her lower lip. "I hope she didn't hear anything from the parlor. I thought she went to sleep earlier."

"I doubt it," Jack replied, easing the young girl's worry. He stared at the door to the study for a bit longer, as if he was contemplating on whether or not to go in. "Actually…" he spoke softly, "I have to talk to her about something."

"Huh? What is it?" For a moment, Anna stared at him curiously. She suddenly gasped sharply and leaned in close to him. "You better not tell her about the party - !"

"Like I would," he countered.

 _"Hmph."_ Anna threw him a skeptical look, but eased away from him, placing a hand on her hip as she tapped the poster on her shoulder again. "Fine, but if I find out that Elsa got wind of this surprise party, I'm labeling you as a traitor, Jack." She poked the rolled up poster board against his chest, shooting him a mean glare.

For a brief moment, Jack's expression fell a little, but he quickly hid it with a clever smile. "Yeah, yeah, I got it," he replied, lightly pushing away the poster with the back of his hand.

"Good."

She sharply turned on the heel of her foot and went further down the hallway towards her bedroom. Jack watched her until she went inside. He received one last stern glare from the younger sister before she slipped inside her room and closed the door behind her. Once she was finally out of view, Jack let out a soft sigh that was pent up inside of his chest.

He was not sure what to make of Anna's choice in words. Surely it was not on purpose…

Jack held his head, silently muttering to himself, "you're just being paranoid, Frost." Ever since he had spoken to Hans a few nights before, he was on edge. He tried his best to control himself and keep up the facade that everything was perfectly normal. For the most part, it was working. After all, he had been lying to everyone for the past several years. He has had plenty of practice.

With one last sigh to clear his mind and to relieve some pressure from his chest, he turned towards the door and knocked twice.

"Elsa?" he said, loud enough so that she could hear, but soft enough as to not startle her.

He could hear the sound of a low thump before she called out in a sweet tone, "come in. It's open."

Elsa made sure to smile at him as Jack entered the study. She pushed aside the notebooks and papers strewn over her large desk. "I thought you were already asleep," she said, looking over at the clock and seeing that it was an hour past midnight. "It's pretty late."

"I could say the same for you," he commented back, chuckling as he walked up to her desk. "It's rare to see you up this late."

"Mm, just - a lot of assignments. That's all." Elsa smiled, but it quickly retreated, "and I have to submit a rough draft of my thesis soon to one of the professors." She sighed tiredly, leaning back against the large leather swivel chair.

Jack saw in her eyes just how tired she was. They were slightly bloodshot, the reddish-pink color contrasting faintly with the crystal blues of her irises. Her hair was pushed back with a light blue hair band and her hair that was usually braided, was tied up into a simple ponytail. Even when she was home, Elsa at least took the time to apply some light makeup. She did care for her appearance to some degree, but tonight, Jack noticed that she had nothing on her face. She was definitely in a serious studying mode.

"Do your best," he encouraged her with a warm smile.

"Trying to," Elsa replied with a dry chuckle. A silence fell between them for a while - a complete quietness. Her expression changed into that of curiosity as she questioned him, "did you need something, Jack?"

He seemed as if his mind was somewhere else, his attention not solely focused on her, even though he was looking right at her. Elsa received a grim feeling that he was looking at her with a degree of suspicion.

She kept her eyes locked on his, but slightly drew back in her chair, feeling her heartbeat quicken the longer they stared at each other. Afraid that he would hear the loud beating of her heart, Elsa swallowed harshly and held a loose fist over her chest. A cold sweat began forming on the back of her neck at the thickening silence and tension.

Finally…

"It's nothing too important. Just wanted to see what you were doing up so late," he said with a chaste smile.

"O-Oh, is that it?" Elsa laughed. "I thought it was something really important."

Jack laughed along in unison with her, but they both quickly died down, once again being submerged into an uncomfortable cold silence. Ever since the night of the charity dinner, the two had been acting the same as always, but there was an unspoken distance that was slowly prying its way between them.

All of their conversations seemed dry and fruitless. Everything Jack did with her felt robotic, as if he was programmed to do it and not because he wanted to do it. He knew it was because the conversation with Hans was a wake-up call for him. He had to keep his objective in focus. He could not get sidetracked by his own feelings for her.

"...Jack…" the blond started off softly, "I know that the last time we didn't communicate properly kinda came out to be a, well - big mess." Elsa played with her hands in her lap. "I don't want it to happen again..." she raised her head to look up at him, "...I hate fighting with you."

He did not say anything to her.

Elsa sighed at his silence and turned the chair slightly so that she could get a view of the large window that overlooked the courtyard. It was only mid-January. Normally the grounds would be covered in a thick layer of white, fluffy snow, but tonight the grounds were barren as they have been for the past few weeks. She looked up at the clear night sky, staring at the moon with a dismal gaze. "Looks like it won't snow again, huh?" she asked to no one in particular.

Jack let out a quiet 'hm' in response. He wrinkled his brow slightly at the silence that reached his ears once more. It was too quiet…

"Remember how we'd used to play in the snow all the time when we were little?" she asked, smiling a little at the fond memory. "My parents, mother especially, would always worry that we would catch a cold. We never really did, did we?"

He remembered those days that Elsa was reminiscing about. Even though he was a bodyguard then as well, the days felt much more carefree and innocent. A part of him wanted to go back to those days.

"That's right," he muttered, "you'd always get sick in the spring or summer." Jack could not help, but let out a soft laugh. "Who gets sick when it's hot?"

Elsa glared at him sourly. "Please, Jack. It was only a few times - "

"Try a couple dozen times."

She felt her lower eyelids twitch in irritation when she saw him laughing again. However, she relaxed slowly as she continued to watch him laugh and could not help, but smile at him. Jack always had a nice laugh, she thought. Despite his low voice, his voice was soft and filled with boyish wonder whenever he spoke with her. These traits became even more apparent when he laughed and it was honestly like music to her ears.

Jack ceased his laughter gradually and opened his eyes to see that Elsa was staring at him with a dazed, loving look in her eyes. He blushed a little and quickly cleared his throat.

Elsa caught herself staring at him as well and quickly averted her gaze back outside. "...I - I hope it'll snow again," she commented, attempting to avoid another awkward silence.

"Hm. It'd be nice."

She glanced back at him and noticed how his voice fell again, losing its cheerful charm. Her eyes dropped to the floor and she nervously shuffled the soles of her fuzzy light blue slippers against the hardwood floors. "...Are you okay, Jack?" she asked after a long pause.

"Why do you ask - ?"

"You've just been acting weird ever since that charity dinner!" Elsa blurted out. When they were met with another silence, she drew back a little, silently wondering if she had said something too extreme.

"I'm just tired," he replied.

"...Really?"

 _"Really._ " Jack drew in a slow breath and turned away to walk out of the room. "Sorry, I'm going to go turn in for the night," he stated briefly.

Elsa watched him leave, but before he could touch the doorknob, she stopped him. "Jack - " she called out. She watched him freeze mid-step. " - you know, we've been together for all these years…"

His breath stilled in his throat.

"...I know when you're lying."

"...Same here."

He offered up no other response and simply left the room. As Jack walked down the hallway towards his room, he began unbuttoning his black, slim-fit blazer and loosening his tie. Once he reached his room and went inside, he leaned up against the closed door and tilted his head back so that he could look at the ceiling.

"It was too quiet…" he muttered inaudibly, furrowing his brow.

He took off his blazer and threw it onto the bed carelessly. As he unbuttoned the cuffs to his dress shirt, he paused for a moment. He clenched and unclenched his fist, before letting out a distressed sigh and electing to take a seat on the edge of his bed.

Jack brought his hand up to his mouth, biting down lightly on the knuckle of his index finger - a nervous habit he had.

The listening device that was planted in Elsa's study created a barely audible beeping noise, a sound that only those with sensitive ears can hear. Jack heard it since the first day, indicating that it was working, but tonight he heard nothing.

"... _It was too quiet_ ," he repeated, leaning his forehead down against his laced up fingers. His jaw was set as he ground his teeth together. He put two and two together. The absence of the listening device, coupled with Elsa's final parting words to him.

She found it - and he knew it was only a matter of time before she finds out about him.

* * *

"Thank you for providing me with such a great opportunity."

Kai chuckled, smiling at the man before him. "Well, Elsa's told me that you were very dedicated towards seeing the end of her trial and she was the one that suggested that you become the head of our legal team. I'm fully on-board with the idea. You're the eldest son of Judge Isles and your family's reputation is spotless. It would be a good partnership." He turned his attention, to Elsa, who was sitting on the adjacent side of the long meeting table.

She gave him a slight nod of her head with a confident smile.

"Well then, that settles it. You can start work tomorrow, Aaron. Nice to have you on-board," Kai said, the two men standing up to share a firm handshake.

Aaron beamed, pushing up his glasses with his other hand. "Thank you, sir."

The three filed out of the meeting room. Immediately, Kai excused himself, saying that he had to be at a board meeting that was due to start in the next five minutes. He left both Elsa and Aaron alone as he rushed off.

"Thank you again," Aaron said to the young woman. He smiled, genuinely thanking her for the opportunity. It was rare seeing the usually stoic man, smiling, so Elsa took his thanks to heart.

"You're welcome," she replied, returning his smile. "You did mention after the trial about a partnership. I felt like it was a perfect fit since Kai mentioned to me that we needed more people for the corporation's legal team."

The copper-brown haired man gently cupped his chin in a contemplative manner. "Although...I am flattered, I will need to start reading up on corporate laws. I've been more of a criminal defense attorney, but rest assured, I will do my best. For you and for the corporation."

* * *

The sound of quick scribbling filled the lavish study. Aaron's forest green eyes scanned over the text in front of him, with intense concentration, before he jotted down more notes. As he flipped to the next page of the huge corporate law textbook, he was disrupted by a sharp knock on the door.

"Come in," he replied, never taking his eyes off of his studies. Briefly, he glanced up once the door swung open. "Oh, Hans," he addressed his younger brother curtly, before going back to his notes. "Did you need something?"

"Not really," Hans answered, trying to go about his question in a roundabout way, but he knew that was impossible with his brother's no-nonsense attitude. He shut the door behind him and sighed, deciding to go straight to the point when he realized that Aaron was not really saying anything back. "Father told me that you signed on with Winters Financials."

"Yeah, just yesterday."

"Hm." Hans nodded his head, pacing around the room slowly. This caught Aaron's immediate attention and the older sibling released a tired sigh.

"Does this have something to do with your girlfriend, Hans? I know you've been dating Elsa's younger sister."

Hans ran his hand through his loose auburn hair and plopped down on one of the sofas in the room. He rested one leg over the other and sat back languidly. "No, it's not that. I'm just - surprised that you were willing to make the jump from being a criminal defense attorney to a corporate attorney. I know you loved trying criminal cases."

"I did," he replied.

"Then why? Just because Elsa Winters approached you to become a part of her corporation doesn't mean that you should just pack up your bags and leave our family's lawfirm!"

"Why is it that you're so insistent on this, Hans?" Aaron cut in, setting down his pen. His voice came out sharper than intended, causing his younger brother to draw back a little. He quickly noticed this and apologized, changing the subject as well. "Hans…" he said in a soft voice, "I'm not leaving our family's lawfirm, nor am I merging it in any way with Winters Financials." His green eyes rested on Hans as he peered at him over his silver, thin rimmed glasses. He calmly explained further, "as the eldest son, I know better than to throw away all that father has worked hard for."

"Then - !"

Aaron stopped him by raising his hand up slightly.

Hans frowned, but let his brother elaborate further.

"Wouldn't it be good for our family name to be associated with one of the largest financial corporations in Burgess? Although our family was well off once you were born, Hans, I remember how it was when I was a child. Father worked hard as a novice attorney fresh out of law school. While mother took care of me, father was busy trying to get his foot in the door - to make a name for himself and the family. Seeing him struggle made me want to help him. Even now, that is what I plan to do. That is my only goal, Hans."

Aaron stood up from his chair and walked over to his younger brother. Cracking a rare half-smile, he patted the young man on his shoulder and said, "I know you care about father and our family as much as I do."

The auburn haired man simply nodded in response.

"But your concern isn't necessary," he stated, giving Hans' shoulder one last reassuring squeeze. "I will still take over father's lawfirm when he passes away, while being head of the legal team for Winters Financials."

"Won't that be too much on your plate, Aaron?" Hans asked, wrinkling his brow in concern.

The older man laughed softly, as if amused with what his little brother said to him. "Of course not. I've done more in the past." He pushed up his glasses further up the bridge of his nose. "I live to take care of you and the rest of the family...just like when you were little...I promise that I'll take care of everyone."

Hans was suddenly reminded of how most of his childhood mainly consisted of Aaron taking care of him. They were nearly 15 years apart in age, being the eldest and youngest of thirteen siblings, but they were almost inseparable. He and Aaron rarely fought and the latter acted as a father figure to him since their real father was normally busy with work. Even now, with Hans as a young adult, Aaron still watched over him.

"Now - I have to get back to studying. I start working tomorrow and I still have a lot to go through," Aaron patted Hans' shoulder once more before returning to his work desk. "Was that all you wanted to speak to me about, Hans?"

"Yeah." The young man stood up from the sofa and excused himself. With a conflicted and heavy heart, Hans left the room and was immediately greeted by his bodyguard, Sera.

"Is everything alright?" she asked, curiously blinking her wide gray eyes. "I'm sorry, I couldn't help, but overhear."

Hans silently motioned for her to follow him. He led her to his room, just so they could have more privacy for the nature of their conversation.

"...Are we still proceeding with your plan?"

With some amount of hesitation, Hans stuttered out a soft, "yeah."

Sera sensed this immediately. "Are you worried about your brother?" She worriedly moved close to him and wrapped her arms around the young man's neck. It was an intimate hug. "Don't worry...he won't get caught in the crossfire," she whispered, pressing a kiss to the side of Hans' neck.

"I know," he replied, hugging her back. "I'll make sure of it." The remaining, lingering feelings of doubt that plagued his mind briefly, went away with Sera's words. His conversation with Aaron got him concerned about his beloved, older brother's well-being - for a while. After all, he was planning on taking over the very corporation that he was working for now and was planning on the demise of Elsa, the person that basically hired him onto the all-important job. It could potentially ruin what Aaron worked hard to achieve and if Hans were to fail, it would mean he would tarnish his family's good name.

There was just a lot at stake for him, but it was too late to back out now. Confidence slowly surged back up inside of Hans at the thought of how his plan could be flawlessly executed, with the proper cooperation of his new ally and Elsa Winters' bodyguard, Jack.

"Are you scared?" Sera asked, head pressed up against his shoulder.

Hans took a moment to reply. "...No."

She lowered his gray eyes briefly, before muttering, "I see." Sera let her fingers gently play with the short hairs on the nape of the man's neck. After an intimate pause of the moment, the female bodyguard gently murmured, "I won't let your plan fail, Hans."

The auburn haired man saw her pull away slightly, just to give him a deep, loving look. He held her by the arms, staring into her steel gray eyes. His green eyes were lowered in a soft, half-lidded gaze. "Thank you, Sera," he whispered.

Her red lips spread into a slow smile as she cupped his cheek in a gentle gesture. "Anything for you," she replied, leaning in and planting a tender kiss on his lips.

Hans was well aware of just how much in love Sera was with him. He knew that the woman would do anything to please him - anything. He assumed that her irrational affection stemmed from the blind admiration for him. Just because he poured on the charm when he hired her and the group of other mercenaries a while back, she was smitten with him. He did not mind however.

Sera was just another disposable pawn in his plan and he was planning to use her to the very end.

* * *

The night wind was painfully cold, but despite the chilly weather, there was no snow in the forecast once again. This disappointed Jack to some degree, but he enjoyed the cold weather regardless of if there was snow or not.

He leaned back, his hands sinking into the grainy sand of the beach he frequented. The waves rolled in the distance, gently creeping up onto the beachside before receding back. The sound of the ocean always calmed him whenever he was troubled or had a lot on his mind - like this particular night.

Periodically, Jack pulled out his phone to check the time. His hands felt clammy as each second ticked on by. One last time, he checked his phone and saw that it was two minutes away from eight o'clock. Solemnly, he dropped his head and sighed, before pushing himself up onto his feet.

He walked over to an old payphone near the boardwalk and beside an old rundown building that the city of Arendelle never bothered to demolish and rebuild. Jack rested his hand on the black handle of the phone, waiting for it to ring. Even though this was not the first time he did this, every single time this happened, it brought him anxiety and a rush of adrenaline that filled his veins.

A sharp ringing sound jarred his senses and Jack let out one last sharp sigh before picking up the phone.

"...It's cold," he said clearly into the receiver. He waited for a while until he heard the all too familiar chuckle of a man.

 _"Jack, what happened?"_

"...Nothing - "

 _"You know better than to lie to me Jack. I can still hear everything from the bug Hans planted in that room."_

Jack felt his breath stop in his throat, his eyes narrowed in an discontent stare. He did not say anything to the man on the other end of the line. Instead, he silently listened to the man chuckling softly again.

 _"What? You thought the bug was dead? Just because Elsa found it doesn't mean that it's defunct. ...It's in the drawer, inside her desk in case you were wondering."_ An ominous pause. _"...Jack, you need to do your job properly."_

"...I can't do that with you telling someone like Hans everything about me. Elsa found the bug and if Hans decides to double-cross us - !"

A low chuckle. _"You doubt me, Jack? I have faith that you're smarter than Hans, which is the only reason why I told him about you."_

Jack clenched his jaw. "You're only making it harder for me to - !"

 _"To what? Complete the task that you've been given? Oh Jack - you really believe that? The only person making this harder on yourself is well...yourself."_ Another pause, this time, even longer. Then - _"You know you're not supposed to fall in love with her, Jack."_

"I'm not."

 _"Not what?"_

"Not...in love with her," Jack said through clenched teeth. He hated the feeling of being played with. He hated being controlled like this.

 _"Good, because you know that you don't have the right to. You win her over, make her fall in love with you, that's all you need to do."_

"I know."

 _"Hm, I understand that her birthday's just a few days away. You got the package I sent you, correct?"_

Jack let his hand fall to his pants. In the right side pocket, he gently placed his hand over the flat rectangular box. "...Yeah," he answered.

 _"It's been a while,"_ he sighed nostalgically. _"Make sure you make minimal contact with it, you know this right?"_ An amused chortle. _"Of course you do, you're the one that sent me the instructions on how to make it. It's paying off to be a chemical engineer, isn't it, Jack? You can make these deadly, organic poisons that can kill. Must be nice."_

He dropped his head, holding the phone loosely to his ear. "Does it have to be this soon…?" he murmured.

 _"...Why...? Are you backing out, Jack?"_

"No, it's just - "

 _"I was going to wait until she turned 21 actually, but it seems like Kai is mentoring her earlier than I had expected. Even allowing her to hire on a new attorney for the corporation."_ Jack heard him scoff. _"How pathetic. Like a little girl can call the shots for such a huge corporation."_

"Still - "

 _"You don't care about your parents, Jack?"_

The white haired man bit back his tongue. "I - I do, but…"

 _"Then you'll do as I say. The Winters are your enemy, Jack. What would your parents think if they found out that you're madly in love with their murderer's daughter?"_

"I'm not...in love with her." Jack squeezed his hands into a tight fist until the knuckles turned white. He could not say anything back to this man. This person was dangerous and calculating. It was not only the information pertaining to Jack's parents that he could be withholding, but one wrong move and he had no doubt that this man could have him killed.

 _"Hey...wish Elsa a happy birthday for me. Might as well give her a good send off since it's going to be her last. Be sure to smile, Jack."_

Jack flinched at the sound of the sudden click on the other end, indicating that they had ended the call. The only sound he could hear now was the mind-numbingly loud busy tone that was echoing through the phone. He shuddered as another cold wind blew past the empty boardwalk. Jack gently hung up the phone, hanging it back on with a soft click.

In the darkness of the night and among the soft sound of the ocean waves, Jack slammed his fist down onto the rickety old payphone and heaved a heavy sigh.

"Damn it…"


	19. To Protect Her Smile

**Marionette**

 **Chapter 19 - To Protect Her Smile**

 _Warnings: None_

* * *

He heard a little girl's voice, echoing throughout a blank white space.

 _"It's pretty! It looks like snow!"_

He hated it - the color white. It was plain, it felt cold, and it made him feel unwanted. His own hair was in tufts of white, the very color he hated so much. Many times he had thought about dying his hair, to get rid of the cold white color.

...Perhaps then he could be loved.

 _"The snow's pretty, right Jack?"_

* * *

Dark blue eyes slowly opened up from a light sleep. They felt heavy, prompting Jack to hold his cold hands over them for a while before he removing them. He stared up at the ceiling of his room while lying down on his bed. Still in a sleep-induced daze, he sluggishly turned his head over to the side, his body soon following.

Jack closed his eyes again, but reopened them again shortly after. His hand slipped out of the comfort and warmth of the bed sheets bundled around his lithe body to grab his phone that was lying on top of the nightstand. He let out a soft sigh at the time that was displayed on the dim screen.

It was almost noon.

It was not like him to be sleeping in so late. He was usually up in the early morning hours, sometimes even before the sun came up. No matter how late he slept, he _always_ woke up early. It was not like him at all, but then again, he was not like himself recently anyways.

Jack propped himself up by the elbow and used his other hand to hold his head groggily. Even though he had slept for more hours than he did normally, he felt worse. He attributed it to the fact that he just had a lot on his mind, especially with what happened yesterday night at the boardwalk.

With some degree of unwilling effort, he got out of bed, the cold air of his room biting at his pale, exposed torso. He walked over to the small desk in his bedroom and pulled at the top drawer.

With a blank, dismal stare, he looked down at the single light teal jewelry box inside. It was wrapped up in a delicate white ribbon that could easily be slipped on and off. Jack reached inside the drawer and pulled the small present out. In a careful motion, he took the ribbon off and opened the box.

His eyes rested on the beautiful necklace that was inside. It was in the shape of the side view of a graceful bird, its slender wings outstretched and its proud head held high as if it was soaring to an open sky. The charm was small, but the entire thing was made out of a blue crystal and strung up on a thin silver chain.

 _"An odorless...colorless poison that will break down naturally after a period of time, making it undetectable after death. You can make it, right Jack?"_

The man's voice echoed inside of Jack's head as he thought back to the instructions that he was given almost four years ago. It was hard creating something like this, but he managed to delve into his studies at the university and coax some answers out of Sandy and some of the other chemical engineer professors without drawing suspicion. Those years of hard work was all to create a chemical weapon that can commit murder without anyone noticing.

Jack heaved a heavy sigh.

 _'All I need to do is put this necklace on Elsa...that's all...'_

His eyes narrowed.

 _'The poison will work...and by the end of next week - she'll die.'_

His hand tightened into a fist by his side and he promptly slammed the lid of the box down, closing it with a sharp snap. A grimace crossed his face. He did not wish to see the necklace anymore.

* * *

"A birthday party?" Aaron asked curiously as he walked alongside of Elsa, who breathed out an exasperated sigh.

"Unfortunately, my sister's trying to keep it a secret, but the signs were obvious throughout the whole week. I only confirmed it when I walked into her room yesterday to ask about something unrelated. She tried to hide it, but the poster peeking out from underneath her bed was a dead giveaway."

"Poster?"

"With her plans for the party she's throwing me."

"Ah - is the said poster big?"

" _Very_ \- and filled to the brim with her plans," Elsa replied grimly. She turned to Aaron as he got ready to board the elevator to go to his new office. Her expression softened as she looked up at him. "You're free to come if you want. It's tomorrow."

The eldest Isles brother chuckled softly in amusement. "Are you extending an invite to me for your own surprise birthday party? That's the first time I've heard of such a thing." The elevator doors opened up. "I will be sure to make time to attend," he told her with a smile before entering the enclosed space.

"Ah," Elsa blushed a little, "I'm sorry if I came across as too forward… - "

Aaron raised a hand to stop her. "I'm choosing to do this on my own accord, Elsa." He smiled ardently at her before pushing the button to his office floor. "I will see you tomorrow evening then."

She returned his smile and gently waved her hand as the elevator doors closed. As soon as she could not see him, Elsa let out a soft sigh, the tenseness in her body disappearing. Even though she had conversed with him multiple times now, Elsa still could not be completely relaxed around Aaron. She assumed it was because of his way to speaking. It was hard to strike up a conversation with him and keep it going. He was untalkative for the most part and his words were rather cold at times, but Elsa kept in mind that he had the best intentions and is actually warm-hearted inside. That was probably why she continued to try and reach out to him. She thought of him as a valuable ally - a partner that was dedicated to his work and willing to help out the corporation in any way that he can.

However, it didn't make talking to him any less harder.

With a defeat sigh, Elsa dropped her shoulders and made her way towards one of the meeting rooms. Kai suggested that she sit through a board meeting about the corporation's monthly financials, listening and taking notes for him. It was going to go on for a few hours, he said.

She raised her arm to look at the thin white watch around her wrist. It was nearly 2 PM.

"Hm, Anna should be out of school soon," Elsa muttered, pulling out her white phone from the pocket of her one button blazer. She tapped away at the screen, sending a text message to her telling her that she would be home later than usual because of the meeting. After she hit 'send,' she switched the screen over to the digital keypad and held her lithe finger over the number '2.'

In a matter of seconds, the phone speed dialed Jack for her.

After a few more seconds of her waiting for him to answer his phone, she heard his voice on the other end of the line.

 _"Hello?"_

"Jack," Elsa smiled as she slowed her walking pace. "Are you finally awake?" she teased, adding in a little laugh at the end.

 _"Ha-ha, very funny. It's only the first time I overslept,"_ he responded sarcastically.

"That's why I'm laughing. What made you so tired last night?" Elsa asked, keeping the conversation lighthearted. She heard nothing from him for a few seconds, the deafening silence starting to weigh on her consciousness. Instead of waiting for his reply, Elsa decided to change the subject. "So," she started again, "I'm going to be home late. Kai suggested that I sit in on a board meeting and it might go on until the evening."

 _"Okay."_

Another silence.

Elsa bit down on her lower lip. She did not know why it was so awkward talking to Jack nowadays. It seemed as though with each conversation, it would get drier and less exciting. She remembered that she could talk to him for hours upon end, excitedly. Now, she could barely keep up a conversation with him for more than five minutes.

 _"When should I come by the corporation?"_

"Huh? U - Uh," Elsa stammered, suddenly having her thoughts interrupted. "I guess around 7? The meeting should be done by then."

 _"Alright, I'll be there by 7."_

"Thanks - !" Before she could say 'bye' to him, Jack had hung up on her. Elsa, wide-eyed and feeling slightly hurt with his abrupt phone call, slowly dropped her phone from her ear. Something like this never happened before.

Her heart made a deep, thudding sound with each beat inside of her hollow chest. A feeling of dread and worry began to fill her as she stood there in the hallway. Had she done something to upset him? Was something else upsetting him?

"Elsa…?" the familiar voice belonging to Kai called out to her from down the hall.

Snapping her out of her depressing thoughts, Elsa turned her head to see the middle aged vice president power walking over towards her. He seemed as if he was in a hurry.

"I-I'm sorry, Kai. I'm not late to the meeting, am I?" she asked, joining him in his fast-paced walk as they both made their way towards the meeting room.

"No, of course not. I'm just the one that needs to be there a bit earlier than the other board members to set up my presentation." He sheepishly laughed. "Well, since I've caught you here, why don't you help me set up? It'd be a great help to me," he asked of Elsa.

"Sure," she answered, smiling. Although a board meeting was hardly exciting stuff, Elsa was more than happy to help out Kai. Plus, helping him out and sitting through an extensively long meeting could possibly get her mind off of what is going on between her and Jack.

* * *

Strange.

That was the only word Aaron could use to describe the numbers that he was seeing on the corporation's financials. His sharp green eyes darted across the bright computer monitor, his glasses catching the reflection of the spreadsheet he was viewing. He briefly cupped his hand over his mouth, deep in thought.

The numbers he saw on the spreadsheet were not adding up due to a few strange transactions. They were relatively small in number compared to the hundred thousands of dollars that were being exchanged almost every hour, but it still drew his attention. Mainly because these small transactions were being wired to a country outside of Burgess to an unnamed, small, local bank.

He set his jaw firmly as he reached out to the phone on his wide desk. A call to the corporate accountant was in order.

 _"Hello?_ " a young man's voice answered as soon as Aaron dialed in the extension number.

"Is this Senior Accountant Guinevere's office?"

 _"Yes,"_ the man replied, whom Aaron assumed to be her secretary.

"May I speak with her? This is Aaron Isles, the new corporate attorney. It's in regards to the monthly financials and transactions."

 _"I'm sorry, but she's at the board meeting, sir. You'll have to wait until later tonight when she's done."_

"I see. It can't be helped then, thank you." Aaron promptly hung up the phone and went back to staring at the cluttered spreadsheet. His eyes narrowed in suspicion at the odd transactions once again. He thought it was odd that these transactions were going unnoticed by the senior accountant and her team. They were almost blatantly right there in the open for anyone with access to these files to view, which were only him and the accounting department.

It was indeed...strange.

* * *

"Oi, was it really okay to just hang up on her like that?"

Bunnymund suspiciously eyed Jack as he sat across from him on the cold steel table. He saw him shoving his phone back into the inside pocket of his blazer, avoiding the older man's prying eyes as he did so.

"It's fine," Jack said curtly. "This is more important anyways."

He raised an eyebrow at him, to which the white haired man responded with a slight glare. Bunnymund let out a soft scoff and waved his hand carelessly at him. "Whatever, it's your relationship, Frostbite." He rolled his eyes at Jack's disinterested look. "Anyways - " the tall Australian man continued, rolling up the sleeves of his dark gray dress shirt up to his elbows, "you know how Manny's trying to revive the Lunanoff family name. During his recent trip to Berk, he met with the president of Rider Industries. They agreed to lend Manny any support he needs, in exchange for a partnership with the Lunanoffs and the Winters."

"Sounds like everyone wants to be associated with the Winters," Jack commented.

"It's understandable. They're a huge financial power in Burgess."

"Okay...so then, why are you telling me this?" he asked, cautiously, wondering what it was that Bunnymund was trying to get at.

"Thought you needed to know," he replied with a shrug of his shoulders. "We might be getting a few new additions to the group. The president of Rider has a few bodyguards that he's willing to lend to Manny since we're all busy with our own jobs and it might get to be too much for North to handle."

Jack thought Bunnymund's word usage sounded a bit ominous. "What do you mean by ' _it_ '?"

The older man let out an inaudible sigh. "I don't doubt your abilities, mate. I mean, hell, we trained you ourselves." He stared directly into Jack's eyes. silently stating the importance of what he was about to say next. His mint green eyes locked onto the younger man's icy blue ones. "You are taking your job seriously, right?"

Jack wrinkled his brow, narrowing his eyes in contempt at Bunnymund's wording. "Of course I am," he retorted, holding himself back from spitting out the words sharply.

"Just asking, mate. You two seemed head over heels in love with each other after all. It'd be a shame to see that disappear," Bunnymund said, getting up from his seat. He looked at Jack, who still remained seated on his chair, through the corner of his eye. He let his eyes linger on the young man for a bit before turning away. "Hope things work out between you and Winters," he said as a parting word before heading towards the elevator.

He set his eyes into a firm glare at the older man's back as he walked away. Jack clicked his tongue in annoyance, snapping his head away from him. He found it irritating that it seemed like everyone was starting to grow suspicious of him. He was not sure if it was because he was acting differently or if it was just his nerves getting to him.

 _"Traitor."_

He heard Hans' voice inside of his head. The word was finely imprinted into his brain ever since that night he encountered him. Even though Jack knew that he was doing this for the sake of avenging his dead parents and bringing the murderers to justice, at what cost was he doing this for?

Jack got up from his seat and pulled out his white phone again to check the time. It was nearly 4 in the afternoon. He remembered that Anna asked him to pick up some extra party supplies needed for tomorrow's celebration. It was a private business that made specialized party decorations and they were located in a city almost an hour away from Arendelle. Inwardly, Jack groaned, shoving his phone back into his pants pocket and leaving the Guardians' underground compound.

He had asked multiple times as to why Anna was going so far for Elsa's birthday, to the point of going overboard and stressing herself out planning everything, but she insisted that it was what she wanted to do.

 _"Sacrificing yourself for the sake of someone you love isn't bad…"_ he heard Anna's voice in his head, _"if you really love someone, you'd want to do everything you can to make them happy. Even if it's hard on yourself."_

Jack could practically visualize in crystal clear quality Anna's smile as she told him those exact words. She looked happy, despite looking stressed out and tired. He did not quite understand it. His situation was the same as what she said. He was sacrificing pretty much everything for the people he loved. Then _why_ \- ?

He made it outside of the large corporate building. Standing beside the side entrance, he leaned back against the cold metal of the door and looked up at the light gray skies that were slowly getting darker from the setting sun. With his blue eyes, half-lidded and his eyebrows knitted together in distress, Jack parted his lips. "This is the path you chose for yourself, Frost." He watched his own warm breath float out from his mouth in a thin white cloud.

Although he had been told about the murder of his parents the year he entered college and kept everything hidden from Elsa this entire time, he had not felt this much guilt and uncertainty about his actions then as he was right now. Perhaps he felt guiltier now that his actions were reaching their climax. By this time tomorrow, he would have given Elsa her present and she would be wearing it around her neck, unaware of the deadly poison that would slowly seep into her skin, eventually killing her.

He was at a loss of what to do next, to change the outcome of something that he perpetuated.

Jack brought a hand up to the small jewelry box in the inside pocket of his blazer that contained the necklace he was to give to Elsa. It felt heavy…

He lowered his head so that he was now staring at the ground gravely. He whispered again, as if reminding himself, "...this is the path you chose."

Jack widened his eyes slightly when he saw a tiny, white snowflake drift aimlessly around just a few inches above the ground before coming to a rest on the ground. Not too long after, more snowflakes followed. He let out a soft gasp, raising his head again to look up at the sky.

It was finally snowing again.

His lips pressed against each other in a gentle line. The rest of his facial muscles relaxed at the sight of the white snow gently falling onto the earth.

 _'White...'_

 _"I think white is pretty!"_

The soft, familiar feminine giggle of a young girl echoed in his head. It sounded like a continuum of the dream he had this morning.

"...you think white is pretty…?" he asked out loud, his voice not a decibel above a soft whisper.

* * *

Elsa blinked at the sight she saw outside. It was unmistakeable, that all-too familiar white color that she loved to see.

Snow.

A delicate smile spread across her heart-shaped face. It was a sight to behold - snow falling softly onto downtown Arendelle. Elsa briefly took her attention off of the board meeting to admire the white fluff that was drifting down onto the city. The sight of snow always managed to bring a smile to her face.

"So then - "

Elsa's attention was quickly averted back to the meeting at the sound of Kai's voice. It seemed as though the board meeting was coming to an end as she saw the vice president reach the ending slide of his presentation.

" - that is the monthly financials that we needed to go over. Guinevere, could I ask of you to send me the closing reports to my office by Monday morning?"

One of the few women in the board meeting that was sitting just a few seats away from Elsa, nodded her head. She smiled, her light blue eyes twinkling as they disappeared. "Of course," she answered Kai.

He thanked her and the rest of the board members before concluding the meeting.

Elsa waited to leave the room until most of the other people filed out. Some of them came up to her, eager to greet their late CEO's daughter, who was soon to take his place.

"Miss Winters - " The woman named Guinevere approached her. She had a slight sway in her hips as she walked over to Elsa and despite being older than what she assumed to be thirty, she hardly looked it. A kind smile painted itself across the blond's face as she greeted the future CEO. "I should properly introduce myself to you since we will be working together in the future - well...you'll be my boss so - " She laughed lightheartedly as she held out a slender hand. "My name is Guinevere, senior accountant for your father's corporation."

Elsa returned the mature woman's kind gesture. "Pleased to meet you," she politely greeted her, taking the outstretched hand and giving it a firm shake.

Guinevere's painted red lips were drawn up into a small smile as she released her hand. "I hope you're learning well from Kai. Think you can handle the job of being CEO for Winters Financials?"

Confidently, the young woman answered, "I believe so. I still have a few more years before I can sully inherit what my father left behind - which includes this corporation. I'll use all the time I have left to learn what I can."

"Good," the blond accountant replied, seemingly pleased with what she was hearing. "I'm sure you'll follow in your father's footsteps and perhaps carve out your own path soon enough." She turned around to face Kai, who stood behind her. Flashing him a cheeky grin, she patted his shoulder and told him, "she shows potential just like Agdar"

Kai chuckled. "Like father, like daughter." He heard her giggle in response to his statement before saying her 'goodnights' and 'goodbyes' to both Elsa and him.

Elsa waved the older woman off, happy that she had a pleasant first encounter with the senior accountant. It was necessary of her to create good relationships with the people on the board and those that would be working directly under her.

"Guinevere was a trusted partner of your father, other than myself," Kai explained as he collected his things.

"I see," Elsa glanced at the door from where the other woman exited.

"She's helped me greatly with the corporation as well once your father passed away. I'm sure she'd be an asset and partner to you as well," he said. The two left the meeting room, which was when Kai asked the young woman, "is Simon going to pick you up?"

"Ah, no. Ja - I mean - my bodyguard will," she replied, quickly correcting herself before she said Jack's name. Although they were in a relationship and she was not ashamed of it by any means, she was not quite sure how Kai and the other corporate employees would respond if the daughter of a respectable corporation's CEO was dating her no-name bodyguard. Referring to him in such a casual manner in front of Kai would make it seem more apparent that they were in a close relationship - closer than a usual mistress and bodyguard relationship.

Kai blinked, confused at her for a while before he said in a softer tone, "you don't need to hide it Elsa."

"H-Huh?"

"Your relationship with your bodyguard."

Her face immediately turned a bright shade of pink. "A - Ah, well we aren't really - well, I mean - !" Elsa continued to stammer, unable to form coherent words from being flustered.

The middle-aged man chuckled at her innocent reaction. "It isn't a bad thing. You two are still young." He glanced at her curiously and asked, "what are you afraid of, Elsa?"

"We - Well…" Elsa sighed deeply, attempting to calm herself down. She held on tightly to the notebook in her arms as she lowered her head a little. "Although we don't live in such a hierarchical society anymore...I feel like as the daughter of a wealthy and respectable family, I should be dating someone more within my circle."

"You mean, someone who also comes from money?"

She scrunched up her face a little. "...That sounds a _little_ superficial when you say it like that, Kai," she mumbled.

"Isn't that essentially what you mean though?" He watched her as they arrived at the elevators, breaking into a smile at her lack of a proper response. Kai sighed nostalgically as he turned his head over to the elevator's arrows. "Your grandfather said the same thing you said to your mother."

Quizzically, Elsa turned to face the older man. Her wide, blue eyes stared at him with curiosity as the elevator opened up on their floor. "What do you mean? I thought my father was also from a wealthy family."

"Ah," he waved his hand a little as they stepped inside, "I don't mean your father. Agdar did come from a wealthy family, although not as wealthy as your mother." He pushed the lobby button and waited until the doors of the elevator closed before resuming. "Your mother mentioned this in passing once when we were alone at a dinner party. It was when Agdar was thinking about getting you a bodyguard, actually. She told me that her first love was her own bodyguard that was put with her since she was a little girl, of course, she assured me that it was a simple, small crush."

Elsa thoughtfully looked up at the ceiling of the elevator. "She never told me that," she commented. "Maybe because I never showed interest in love," she conceded with a little laugh.

"Possibly," Kai replied, chuckling as well. "You were straight-laced when it came to schoolwork and relations with other people. I don't think either of your parents thought you'd be interested in the opposite sex anytime soon."

The elevator doors opened up to the lobby and the two stepped out. As Elsa walked into the main area of the large circular lobby, she spotted a familiar head of white hair. It was Jack, sitting at the various white sofas arranged throughout the lobby. He had his back to the corridor of elevators and seemed to be looking at his phone idly, not yet noticing that she was there.

Elsa turned to Kai to say her goodbyes, but was stopped when he spoke first.

"He may not be much, Elsa, but you love him, don't you? Like I said, you two are still young. Why don't you see where this love will take both of you? It may not have worked out for your mother and her first love, but she told me that she had no regrets loving a man like him." Kai smiled kindly at the young woman, then looked over to Jack, then back to her. He then jerked his head over to Jack's direction, silently telling her to go over to him. "Wouldn't want to keep him waiting now."

She hurriedly nodded, but before she left him, she thanked the older man generously. "Thank you, Kai - for everything today."

"Of course," he replied, the soft wrinkles near his eyes deepening as he grinned. "See you back here next Friday, Elsa." Kai watched as she left while he was waving her off. He saw her coming up behind Jack, gently tapping his shoulder to grab his attention. His expression softened at the sight of the two conversing. His eyes lingered on Elsa, who had a soft blush on her face as she spoke with Jack. A feeling of familiar nostalgia washed over Kai. With a gentle smile, he turned away to head out the back towards the underground parking structure. "She looks so much like you, Idun…"

* * *

"I saw that it started to snow earlier," Elsa told Jack excitedly, hoping to strike up a decent conversation with him for once.

"Maybe because it's your birthday tomorrow," he replied, laughing lightly. "The real Jack Frost is giving the ice queen an early birthday present."

The blond rolled her eyes, but could not help smiling at his lighthearted joke. He was acting somewhat normal right now and she silently thanked the weather for it. No matter what mood either of them were in, the promise of snow made both of them excitedly happy.

The two walked out the front lobby and onto the main street, where Jack's car was parked next to the curbside. However, before any of them moved, they stood at the entrance of the corporate building for a while. Elsa tilted her head back to look up at the night sky, dotted with the various flakes of white snow that was drifting down onto them. A little smile played upon her face once more.

"Nine years," she whispered.

Jack watched her as she averted her attention back onto him.

"Nine years," she repeated, "it's been nine years since we've met. My father introduced us to each other the day before my birthday." A sigh heaved out of her chest as she looked up at the night sky again. "This day nine years ago…" a soft giggle, "time sure flies by, doesn't it? It feels like just yesterday that we met each other."

A puff of his breath, visible against the cold air, escaped past his parted lips as he kept his eyes on her.

"Do you remember that day?" she asked him, although she was not waiting for an answer. "I remember," she reminisced fondly, "I couldn't believe that someone like you existed."

 _"White like snow…"_

"I was afraid that I was offending you," Elsa said with a girlish giggle. "But I just had to ask why your hair was white."

Jack blinked, widening his eyes slightly at her words. "I...remember," he whispered almost inaudibly.

 _"It's pretty! - "_

He could hear the little girl's voice inside his head. This familiar voice that he had heard in his dreams...

"' _It's pretty! It looks like snow!_ '," she looked at him. "That's what I said to you, right?"

It was her. It was Elsa - the first person that told him that white was a pretty color. The one that made him actually like it. He could remember the entire moment vividly now. It was not a dream, it was reality.

He could see the young ten-year old girl bouncing on her feet excitedly when he told her that his hair was naturally that color. She clapped her hands together and cheered, "pretty! I love the color white! I wish my hair was that color too!"

Jack was brought back to the present time when he felt a soft grip on his hand. He focused his attention on Elsa, who had moved closer to him, staring up into his eyes with a relaxed, loving gaze. The grip on his hand tightened gently and she stood there in front of him, almost stunningly perfect and beautiful with the ambiance of only the street lights and the corporate building's blue skyline lights illuminating them.

The snow fell gently upon the two as a peaceful silence embraced them.

He felt his heart throb when he felt her lean her head against his chest and the throbbing continued when he heard her next set of words to him.

"...I'm glad I could have met someone like you, Jack."

"Elsa… - "

"Truthfully...I felt as if we were drifting apart recently."

Jack dropped his gaze, feeling the familiar feeling of guilt gnawing away at his consciousness. He was fully aware of his behavior towards Elsa in recent days. His playful jokes disappeared and he rarely made time to speak with her as he did often in the past.

"It hurt," she admitted, driving the stake further into Jack's chest. "But…not because we weren't talking to each other as often as before or the distance between us. I think I was more hurt by the fact that you're probably suffering by yourself."

Jack widened his eyes, surprised by what she had said. "...What - ?"

Elsa slowly moved off of him, pulling away. She stared up at him and said in a broken whisper, "I know something's troubling you, Jack, and I know that you don't want to tell me...I know you _won't_ tell me no matter how much I try to coax it out of you or how much I wish you'd tell me." Although she did not cry, there was a certain sadness in her eyes as she looked up at him.

"Elsa, I - "

"You think keeping it to yourself will hurt me less, but - " she swallowed visibly, "you're my boyfriend, Jack."

He froze at her words.

She seemed anxious from verbally saying that out loud - the bright red blush evident on her pale face as she squeezed his hand. "And a trusted friend. This comes before you being my bodyguard. That's why...if you're keeping things from me for the sake of protecting me, then don't. I can handle myself." She sounded full of confidence, not a single syllable uttered in wavering strength.

Jack, however, responded harshly. "...you don't get it."

"Jack - "

"How can you say such things without knowing the full extent of the situation?"

Elsa, visibly confused with his response and with what he said, drew back.

He seemed conflicted, almost angry, but he kept his voice at a low tone and even pace. "You don't even know what you'll be getting yourself into, Elsa. The world isn't as forgiving as you think it is..." His voice trailed off at the end as he averted his eyes away from hers. The mood quickly turned somber and this raised Elsa's concern.

"Jack…" she called out to him, her hand as a loose fist held over her chest. Her blunt nails clutched at the thin, silky material of her cream colored blouse peeking out from underneath her tight black blazer. Elsa set her lips into a firm line, her blue eyes hardening as the seconds passed by. Finally -

"That doesn't matter!"

He looked to her again, this time his gaze reflecting a look of bewilderment at her response.

"I may not know just what is going on with you and your situation, and how it'll affect me if I get involved, but on the other hand, how could you know as well?"

"What are you saying - ?"

"You're keeping things from me because you want to protect me, right? Because you think that I can't handle it or that I'll get hurt by it. Isn't that also just as foolish as you're making me out to be? We're _both_ blindly assuming things." Elsa softened up her voice, trying not to escalate this into a full-blown argument. She eased back, silencing herself and bringing down the intensity of their conversation.

Jack read the situation and kept silent as well. He heard another office worker rush out of the corporate building and run past him, a reminder that they were still having this conversation in public. "We should talk somewhere else," he suggested, only to have Elsa argue against it.

"No," she stated, causing him to tilt his head in confusion. Elsa looked at him, then away, letting her eyes fall onto the small piles of snow that had begun to accumulate on the sidewalk. "You must have your reasons for keeping secrets from me." A sigh escaped her, drawn out and shallow. "I don't expect you to tell me anytime soon as to what you're keeping from me...and that's fine."

He blinked at her, eyes slightly widened by her answer.

"I just trust that you'll tell me eventually...and that you won't let this eat you up anymore than it already has." She flashed him a fleeting smile before leaning up to peck his cheek.

Jack, feeling the pain of the guilt gnawing away at his mind, clenched his fists and opened his mouth to speak, ready to tell her what he can. However, she stopped him before he could.

"It's okay," she muttered, "like I said, I was only hurt because it looked like you were hurting." Elsa smiled wistfully as her eyes rested on the sidewalk at the fallen snow. "It's okay," she repeated, facing him, "I can live with you keeping secrets from me and even lying...but as long as you don't betray me, I'll be fine."

Rendered speechless by what she said to him, Jack simply stood by her side, watching her turn away from him with a bright smile upon her face. She looked out at the passing cars and the people walking by on the street that ran in front of the corporate building, making a comment about what a nice night it was.

Jack brought a hand up to his chest, where he felt the small jewelry box underneath his blazer, tucked away in the inside pocket. He felt a sinking feeling at the conflict stirring deep inside of him like a brewing storm ready to reach its peak. He wanted to come clean to her, but if he did, what would actually happen to him or to her?

Before he could actually contemplate it any further, an office worker at the corporation hurriedly rushed past him. However, in an unfortunate turn of events, the man slipped on the top step well-polished, icy white marble set of stairs. He cried out, his briefcase flying out one hand and the phone he was and nearly tumbling down the hard stairs. Luckily for him, Jack caught him by the arm and yanked him back before any major damage was done.

Although the young office worker was on the light side, Jack also lost his balance due to his awkward footing and the two men fell onto the ground rather ungracefully. During the entire thing, Jack did not realize that the small jewelry box had flown out of the inside pocket of his blazer and had popped open, sliding the delicate necklace across the marble floors.

"Are you okay, sir?" Jack asked, helping him up onto his feet.

"Yes, I'm so sorry! Thank you very much!" he exclaimed, rushing to gather his things. He profusely apologized to him even up until the time he left.

As the man walked away, being more cautious about his footing, Jack noticed from the corner of his eye the fallen jewelry box. Its cover was popped off and the necklace was strewn on the cold marble floor for all to see - which meant Elsa as well. He quickly scrambled towards it, being careful about picking it up without touching it with his bare hands. Secretly, he hoped that she did not get a good look at it.

"A - Are you okay?" Elsa asked from behind just as he snapped the top cover over the box.

"Yeah," he said, trying to sound calm. Jack stood up straight, brushing off some snow from his clothes. He smiled at her as he discreetly slipped the box back inside his blazer. "Maybe we should head on home," he suggested, attempting to change the subject when he saw her looking at him with the slightest amount of suspicion.

"Yeah...sure," she answered him, deciding to just go with it for now. Elsa eyed him frequently throughout the entire walk to his car and even when she was all seated inside. She bowed her head, not really saying much during the car ride back to the estate as well.

With how the box was decorated and how secretive Jack was being with it, she could only come to one conclusion - it was her birthday gift.

She was not quite sure if she should be happy that it was a necklace and not another hairpin, like what he always gave her in the past, or be overwhelmed by the fact that it was a gift that he seemingly put a lot of thought into. The design of the necklace appeared unique from what Elsa had seen with just a glance.

"...Jack?"

"Hm?"

She fiddled with the spine of the notebook in her hands. "You don't really need to hide it. The present - I mean - ...and the whole birthday thing. I kinda put it all together myself. You know, Anna's horrible at keeping secrets."

Jack sighed, keeping his eyes on the road in front of him. "Can you at least act surprised tomorrow then?"

"Why?"

"Well...she put in a lot of effort putting it all together for you."

"Oh - "

" - And, she'll probably beat me over the head if she finds out you know. She'll think I told you," he grumbled.

Elsa looked at him and giggled lightly. "So - what's going to happen tomorrow?" she asked.

"She told me to take you out on a birthday date, then bring you back home by 4 for the party. She emphasized to me that I should "tell you" to dress nice for the date so that you look nice for the party too."

"Hm, sounds like a lot of the pressure is on you," she commented. Elsa flashed him a little half-smile and reassured him, "for your sake, I'll make sure that I look surprised tomorrow."

" _Please,_ " Jack said with a hint of desperation in his voice. His shoulders dropped dramatically as he kept his hands on the steering wheel.

The platinum blond could not help, but laugh at his actions. She thought it was funny to see him afraid of suffering under Anna's wrath if she were to ever find out that Elsa knew about her own surprise party.

Unbeknownst to her, Jack glanced at her through the corner of his eyes. He broke into a soft laugh as well, hearing her melodious giggles. His expression softened at the sight of her smile and his heart melting with each little gesture she did. Returning his focus back onto the road, he smiled, feeling at ease as they left the downtown area. As the car passed over a large bridge, more snow seemed to fall down, but not so much that it impeded the drive.

"The snow - " Elsa said, looking out the window at the dark waters beneath the bridge that were painted over with the reflection of the city lights. "It's pretty, right Jack?"

As the soft flurry was gently swept away by the car's wipers, the young man chuckled softly and replied, "yeah...it is." His grip tightened just barely around the steering wheel as he stole another glance of the blond sitting next to him.

She had the brightest smile on her normally stoic face, as she looked out at the snow that was flying by the car window. Her blue eyes were lit up in childish wonder and the apples of her cheeks grew plump as her smile widened. It was the same smile she had when she first met him - that smile of innocent wonder that he fell in love with.

A smile that he knew that he had to protect no matter what.

* * *

"Aaron Isles," Guinevere coolly stated as she kept her blue eyes on him in a steady gaze.

He met her gaze with the same intensity and strength, until he moved his hand to adjust his glasses upon his face. "Senior Accountant Guinevere, I spoke with your secretary earlier."

"Ah yes. I apologize. I was at a board meeting," she replied, leaning back against the large leather chair in her office. "Is this an urgent matter? Can't it wait until Monday? It's Friday night - "

"It is urgent," Aaron replied, his voice sharp and stern. He felt the heat of the blond accountant's glare on him, but he did not flinch or show any sort of outward sign that he was disturbing him.

"Look - I get it. You want to do a good job on your first week here, but you don't need to overwork yourself. Your position as the corporate attorney is not threatened by anyone, I assure you. Not to mention, you have no need to go through the corporation's financials in such detail. Now then - " Guinevere stood up from her seat and slung her handbag over her narrow shoulder. "I'm sure this matter can wait until Monday morning. You can come to me again then." Her red lips curled up into a warm smile, capable of hiding dark intentions.

Aaron narrowed his eyes in suspicion at her as she came up to him, almost dangerously close. She patted his chest, smoothening out the lapel of his brown coat.

"Why don't you loosen up? Maybe grab a drink at the bar down the street? Go home with a nice girl on your arm? You should have no problem doing that with a pretty face like yours." She dragged her red polished nails across some exposed skin on his neck, just barely above the collar of his dress shirt. When Aaron remained unmoving and unaffected by her slight touch, she flashed an amused smile at him. "Goodnight then," she said brushing past him. "You wouldn't mind locking up my office for me, would you? Just push the lock from the inside and close it - "

"If I don't go through the financials in great detail, who will? You?" he asked, his voice steady.

"Excuse me...?"

Aaron turned around to face her, his forest green eyes narrowing at her from behind his frameless glasses. "As a senior accountant, I expect more from you if the slip-ups I saw were unintentional." He walked up to her, brushing past her arm, and whispering, "or were they ' _intentional_ '?"

Guinevere shot him a wild glare, scowling as he walked away from her office. The grip she had on the leather handle of her red handbag tightened, the material squeaking against each other. Her blue eyes narrowed dangerously, boring a hole into the back of Aaron's head.

"I'll see you on Monday then," he said, returning to his own office.

She stood there until he turned the corner and disappeared from view. Her blue eyes lowered as she quietly shut the door to her office, locking it.

"...We'll see," she muttered, digging her red nails into the metal of the doorknob.


	20. Pure White, Tainted

**Marionette**

 **Chapter 20 - Pure White, Tainted**

 _Warnings: Violence, Blood_

* * *

A crimson red droplet of blood stained the white snow as it fell from the sharp edge of a serrated knife. The fresh warmth of the liquid started melting the snow that it fell upon. The cold, night air failed to cool the hot blood.

"Y...You," a raspy, low voice croaked out as he clutched at the stab wound on his abdomen. The blood stained his white dress shirt and darkened the area on his dark gray suit. He gagged, choking on his own blood as he sat there helplessly slumped against a rusty chain link fence.

His vision blurred, but he could make out the faint image of his attacker, slowly walking towards him, intent on finishing him off.

"...I should have known. My...suspicions were...correct after all," he said with much difficulty between labored breaths. His whole body shook from the loss of blood as he vaguely saw the knife go up in one fluid motion. He let out his final breath, one corner of his mouth pulling up in a perfect smirk. With a dry chuckle, he whispered one single name -

"H...ans...- "

Before he could finish, the knife fell swiftly onto him, plunging deep into his heart.

* * *

"What's taking you guys so long?" Anna hissed under her breath as she impatiently stood in the entrance hall. The sound of a light tapping from the soles of her green fuzzy slippers hitting the floor could only be heard as the minutes dragged on. The strawberry blond shot a glare over to a nearby grandfather clock near the base of the double staircase. It read that it was almost 10.

Before she nearly lost her patience, she spotted Jack emerging from the hallways and slowly making his descent down the stairs, not picking up on Anna's urgency.

"Jack!" she snapped out, annoyed with his languid behavior. "You need to get Elsa out of the house - _now_."

He wrinkled his brow in confusion. "Why - ?"

"Because!" the young girl sharply retorted, throwing her arms up into the air as if she was frantic. "I need to get this entire estate decorated by tonight and I can't get started with Elsa still here! Do you not remember the plan for today?"

"...No," he said, sounding genuinely shocked by the revelation of a plan.

" _Jaaaack_ \- !"

The white haired young man snickered, holding a hand over his mouth as he tried not to laugh at Anna's obvious distress. "Sorry, I couldn't help it," he said in between soft chuckles, much to the younger Winters' chagrin. Jack stopped himself before her glare intensified. He straightened himself out, giving a sharp pull at the lapel of his blazer and clearing his throat. "I promise to adhere to your plan, Princess Anna," he said in his most stern voice.

She grimaced at him briefly. "Please Jack, spare me the dramatics." She paused for a moment, looking him up and down before heaving a tired sigh. "Couldn't you have dressed yourself up?"

Jack shot her an odd look. "I _am_ dressed up. You don't call a suit as dressed up?" He shrugged his shoulders, causing the red head to sigh again, this time in disgust.

"At least it's a slim fit, not one of those _"dad suits"_ ," she said, using air quotes. "But still, you're going out on a date with her, not as her bodyguard, but as her boyfriend. Which means - _this_ \- " Anna promptly unbuttoned Jack's blazer and stuck her finger onto the brown leather straps of his holster. " - needs to go."

Jack asked incredulously, "what? And risk your sister's life - ?"

"You're more than capable of protecting her with just your body," Anna argued, demanding that he take the crossback holster off. "Besides, Elsa mentioned to me once or twice that it's hard to actually hug you with this thing around you."

Begrudgingly, after a few more back and forths with the red head, he took off his holster and handed the entire thing to her. As she held it by one of the straps, she exclaimed, "you seriously wear this thing all the time? It feels like it's a hundred pounds!"

"It's not even 10..." he mumbled, rolling his eyes slightly at Anna's exaggeration. "Just make sure you leave it in my room - _and_ lock the door when you leave," he emphasized.

"I know, I know," Anna waved her free hand as she set the holster down on the floor. She looked at Jack again, ignoring the fact that the young man looked irate.

"What?" he asked her, raising an eyebrow.

"Less formal," Anna muttered, frowning as she moved towards him. She loosened up his black tie and popped open a few buttons at the top of his dress shirt, pulling it open slightly to reveal more of his chest and collarbone. "It's not perfect, but it'll have to do," she said with a halfhearted sigh.

Jack frowned at his reflection on a nearby hanging wall mirror. "I look like a slob - "

"I work with what I'm given," she shot back in a low voice. Before he could retort, she sighed dramatically, cutting him off. "Trust me, girls like it when guys wear formal clothes like this. I know Elsa does at least, even though she never admits it."

He was skeptical by what Anna said, but before Jack could question her more on it, he spotted Elsa emerging from the hallways and quickly hurrying down the stairs.

"Sorry!" she exclaimed, her voice soft and wispy, sounding almost tired. Jack wondered silently if she had woken up just now. Despite her rushing, he thought that she looked cute, which was rare considering that she normally had that "mature" type of look. She arrived at the last step of the stairs, out of breath. For a moment, she rested her hands on her knees, catching her breath while panting heavily.

Anna squealed, clapping her hands together as she went up to Elsa. "Sis! You look so cute! I knew that I picked out the right outfit for you!"

She stood up straight, meeting her sister eye-to-eye. Her cheeks blushed a rosy red, flushed from running. As a nervous habit, she played with the ends of her slightly waved blond hair, which was now tied to the side and left to fall down from her left shoulder in a loose ponytail. "R - Really?" she asked, shuffling her feet cautiously on the floor, the rubber soles of her fuzzy light brown boots squeaking as she did so.

"Really. Now - " Anna grabbed her by the shoulders and gently pushed her into Jack's direction. "Hurry up and go on your date, you lovebirds!"

Elsa practically crashed into Jack rather ungracefully. She looked up, saw how close she was to him, and quickly pulled away, stammering unintelligently as she tucked a piece of hair behind her ear. "Anna," she said, attempting to focus her attention on her sister, "are you sure I don't need to pay you back for these clothes? I can get you something while we're out - "

"Please, Elsa, just go," the younger sibling insisted, almost demandingly. "Consider it my birthday present to you."

"Ah, well...thanks, Anna." She blushed, pulling down on her short, brown skirt subconsciously as she left the house with Jack.

" _Byeee_ ," she sang back as she guided the two out the front door. She stood there, watching them get into Jack's car and continued standing there until the car rolled out of the driveway, eventually disappearing down the street. Anna kept her sweet as honey grin until she was sure that the couple could not see her anymore.

Once they were completely out of sight, she whipped around, closing the door with a loud slam. "Alright everyone!" she called out loudly, triumphantly putting her hands on her hips as the household servants began trickling out from the kitchens and the various other parts of the house. They all congregated in the entrance hall, generously informed and fully aware of what they were going to be doing for the next few hours.

Anna grinned widely and clapped her hands together. "Let's get this house decorated! We got only six hours, people!"

"Yes, ma'am!" they answered her before rushing off to work on their assigned jobs.

The young girl let out a sharp sigh, proud of what was going to happen. She was finally going to be able to throw her sister a proper birthday party. Adhering to her devised plan, Anna pulled out her phone and speed dialed Hans. She had told him a few days ago that she would like to ask for his help in decorating for the party. Even with all of the servants, along with a hired design team schedule to arrive in an hour, and with the time she was given, she was still skeptical about decorating a huge mansion as well as the gardens outside in time before Elsa got back.

The phone rang several times before Hans finally picked up.

"Hello? Hans?" she asked sweetly, "when are you planning to come over? The servants are getting started on decorations and we need all the help we can get!"

She heard his low voice on the other end of the line. He sounded unsure. _"...Ah...I'm sorry Anna," he told her, "I don't think I have time right now. Something came up."_

"O - Oh." Anna tried to hide the disappointment that filled her throat. Her heart sank. "You will be coming to the party later tonight though, right?"

 _"I think so,"_ he responded.

"Okay then," she said, attempting to keep her voice chirpily joyful. "See you later tonight then." She promptly hung up the phone, feeling dismal about the entire thing. It was in her highest hopes that Hans could make it to the decorating session right now because although he was planning to attend the party later in the evening, she knew that she probably will not have that much alone time to spend with him. It had been almost two weeks since they actually spent time together. Whenever Anna asked him out, he would say he has family matters to attend to or say that he had something important going on.

She was starting to believe that they were all excuses to not meet with her. Her stomach lurched at the thought of him not liking her anymore. It was a reality that she did not want to face.

Before she turned off her phone to go help the servants with decorations, she scrolled down the list of people she had added in her phone book. Many of them were her school friends, most of whom were planning to attend the party, despite not knowing Elsa personally. Many of them had already told her beforehand that they could not make it to the decorating session, saying that they had something else going on in the first half of the day.

Anna sighed, feeling hopeless about recruiting more help from her friends. However, one particular name in her digital phone book stood out.

 _Kristoff._

Her thumb hovered over his name for moment, before she pulled it away, vigorously shaking her head at the same time. _'No, no, no,'_ she thought, _'I've only met him a couple of times and it was only at that cafe! It would be too forward of me to call him for help, especially when I didn't invite him to the party in the first place!'_

Ever since they agreed to exchange phone numbers since her last visit to the cafe he worked at, they were starting to get closer. He was a little bit harder to talk to than Hans, who was smooth with his dialect and filtered his words, whereas Kristoff was well - something different.

Whenever they met it was always one of three things: he would always talk about his Great Pyranese that he fondly referred to as Sven, make dozens of tester drinks for Anna to try and give feedback on, or do both at the same time. Aside from being overloaded with espresso and caffeine with each visit, Anna did not mind meeting with him, even though he mainly talked about his dog or some other animal he had on his mind. Kristoff as well, did not seem to mind meeting with her.

Her heart thumped wildly inside of her chest as she mustered up the courage to call him. Her finger timidly hovered over his name on her phone screen again, before she jabbed at it sharply, finally dialing his number. It couldn't hurt, right?

 _"Hello? Anna?"_ he answered almost immediately after the first ring, catching her off-guard.

She flushed, feeling embarrassed for calling him for the first time. "O - Oh! Hi, K - Kristoff! Well, I just - I just wanted to ask you something…"

 _"Yeah sure. What's up?"_ he asked. There was an eagerness in his voice that Anna picked up on. He always sounded so eager to talk to her, although when she pointed it out once, he strongly and stubbornly denied it.

"Are you...possibly free today?"

 _"Like - right now?"_

"Uh, that and perhaps later tonight too," she giggled sheepishly, "I know you've never met her, but I'm throwing my sister a birthday party and it'd be great if you could come! You don't have to buy a present!" she quickly added in, "just think of it as a general party...just with cake and a happy birthday song."

He paused for a while, thinking of Anna's invitation and his own schedule over before he responded. _"Well, I was going to take Sven for a hike in the nearby mountains, but I'll go to your party instead. Heard there was going to be a massive snowstorm later today anyways."_

Anna chuckled, "sorry to break up your date with Sven."

 _"It's fine. He'll understand,"_ he chuckled back. _"Just text me your address and I'll head on over as soon as I can, alright? Wait - "_ he paused again, _"is there a dress code for this party?"_

"Just look nice and don't dress like a slob."

 _"Gotcha. Alright, see you later then."_

"Bye!"

Anna pushed the red button on the touch screen, hanging up the call and immediately texted Kristoff the address to the house. A broad grin decorated her face at the promise of Kristoff coming over to help with the decorations and to attend the party. Unbeknownst to her, she found all dismal thoughts pertaining to Hans' inability to show up, disappearing. and replaced with thoughts of Kristoff's attendance. It had been a few days since she saw him since the only way to actually meet with him was to go to the cafe in downtown Arendelle.

Excited and with a renewed uplifted spirit, Anna rushed off towards the gardens to help the servants with the major preparations there until Kristoff arrived.

* * *

"It snowed a lot last night, didn't it?" Elsa said as she excitedly looked out at the snow covered streets that passed by outside the car window.

"It did," Jack answered her. He glanced at the blond, languidly sitting in the passenger seat and humming a light tune that he could barely hear. She was definitely happy. "Excited?" he asked, chuckling when she whipped her head around with her eyes wide in embarrassment.

"It's just the snow," she replied back curtly. She cleared her throat and attempted to hide her blush from him by turning away her face to look out the window again.

"Yeah, I know the snow excites you, Ice Queen," he teased.

She whipped around to face him again. "Hey! I know you're happy to see the snow too!" Elsa let out a soft 'hmph' and turned away once more. In a soft mumble, she also admitted, "I - I guess I'm also excited for the party later tonight. Anna sounds like she's planning to go all-out. I'm a little nervous, but also a bit scared for what she has planned. I hope it's nothing too big - like hiring a band or something…"

"Not a band, just an entire orchestra."

Her mouth dropped open. "Seriously…?"

"Just kidding." Jack snickered as Elsa gave him a playful shove. "Hey, she could have. Anna didn't tell me or the other servants too much detail. You never know."

Elsa scoffed. "I hope not. I mean - I threw her extravagant birthday parties the past few years, but only because it wasn't my party technically. I certainly don't want her to think that she has to pay me back after all these years."

"Aw, is the ice queen going to get embarrassed tonight?" he cooed, earning himself another shove. Jack chuckled, making sure that he was not veering off the road or drifting into the next lane. He kept the steering wheel steady, stating to the young woman, "it's your birthday. You should celebrate it to your heart's content."

She let out a dry chuckle. "I don't mind celebrating it with a couple of close acquaintances over a nice, quiet dinner. It's just parties I'm wary of because I'm not exactly the "party-type", Jack, incase you haven't noticed."

"A little change is a good thing though," he answered. "Isn't it?"

Elsa contemplatively looked down at her lap. She fiddled with some loose string that was sticking out from underneath the hem on her high knee socks. A slow smile spread across her face as she nodded. "I guess so...maybe...a party won't be such a bad thing after all."

"That's the spirit," Jack said, with a warm grin, "just have fun - loosen up." He glanced over at the digital clock display on the car's dashboard. "So, we have a few hours to kill. How about we go to the movies?" he suggested.

The platinum blond nodded her head in agreement, but the corners of her lips turned into a skeptical frown. "I don't know what's out right now though," she said, seemingly thinking about any movies that are out right now in theaters.

" I don't know either," he admitted, holding the back of his neck nervously. "But, we could always see once we get there?"

Elsa giggled softly, shaking her head. "...Fine, but if it's some cheesy romantic chick flick, I'm not interested."

* * *

Papers were being shuffled everywhere, strewn all across the surface of the oak desk Aaron was sitting at. As he looked through multiple prints of various spreadsheets and documents, he heard a knock on the door to his study.

"Come in," he said, not looking up.

The door opened up and Hans slowly entered the room. He seemed nervous, but tried his best to hide it under a mask of indifference. "Did you want to see me, Aaron?" he asked, closing the door behind him.

"Yes," the older sibling replied, setting down the papers he was studying. He peered up at Hans through his glasses, promptly adjusting them before going back to looking at his papers.

Hans felt himself being immersed in an uncomfortable silence. His brow furrowed at Aaron as he stared at the older man with a quizzical gaze. "Uhm - Aaron…? Did you want to say something - ?"

"How did you find Sera?"

"Huh?"

Aaron looked up at his little brother once more. "...How did you find Sera?" he asked again, enunciating his words. His voice sounded sharp as a razor blade.

"I...found her through a bodyguard agency."

"I see."

Unsure of where this conversation was heading and for fear of being found out, Hans attempted to direct the topic to something else. "So are you attending the birthday party that Anna's hosting? You said Elsa extended an invitation to you."

"That is true."

Hans ran his tongue over his dry lips, discreetly, as a cold sweat began forming a thin layer around his neck. He did not like this - the way Aaron was speaking so coldly and how his green eyes were focused in a penetrating gaze. "D - Did you want to ride together?" He bit back his tongue after that sentence, mentally cursing at himself for stuttering out of pure nervousness.

"Sure." Aaron's blunt, curt responses were doing nothing to help Hans' nerves either. The older sibling kept his cool eyes focused on his brother, who started to fidget. "Hans - "

"Y - Yeah?"

"...I don't normally say these types of things." He got up from his seat and started pacing the room, slowly. "But - I care about you...always have."

Hans dropped his gaze solemnly and nodded his head slightly. "I know you do," he answered.

"That's why, it does worry me when I see you with such a conflicted expression on your face all the time." Aaron turned his head to look at him, stopping by the large arched window in the study. His low voice that was normally stern, spoke to Hans in a soothing manner. "I know I'm not like father. I can't guide you to do what's right all the time, but I'm not going to get mad at you for doing something you weren't supposed to be doing or getting into a mess that you can't fix on your own. However as your older brother, I do want to offer you my help if you need it, Hans."

"...I - I know. Thanks, Aaron." The auburn haired man managed to muster up a weak smile, anxious due to the conflict brewing inside of him. "I'm okay though. Seriously." He peered up at his brother. "I can handle it," he said softly.

Aaron sighed deeply through his nose, keeping his lips pursed tight. He bowed his head, his eyes closing behind the clear glass of his spectacles. "...I'm here...willing to help you out in any way I can, Hans. Just remember that." He heard no response from the younger man and reopened his eyes when he heard him leaving the room.

He turned his head, staring at the door for a few seconds before walking back to his desk. His green eyes lingered upon the various spreadsheets and documents that he had retrieved from the Winters Corporation financial database before he had left the office yesterday. The strange, miscellaneous transactions from one of the corporation's smaller accounts that had caught his attention was frequently wiring money into an off-shore bank as well as a familiar local account.

Aaron took a seat back onto the large swivel chair and knitted his brow together at the account number that was printed on the document in front of him. He reached over to the other end of his desk and picked up another paper illustrating more transactions, however this paper was for the Isles' family private joint account. He aligned the two papers side-by-side and sighed at what he saw.

There was no mistaking it - the numbers were the same and the account belonged to no one other than Sera.

"Sera Chikatilo…" Aaron whispered, tracing her name printed upon the document with the tip of his finger. It was no surprise that his family was wiring money to her, after all, she was hired by them. It was strange however, for money from the corporation to be wired to her account when she should have absolutely no connections to them.

"...why are you getting money from the Winters…?"

* * *

A befallen expression crossed Elsa's face as she stared at the various movie listings. "They're…all chick flicks."

"Mm," Jack answered, unable to really say anything else to her as he sheepishly held out a movie ticket to her. "I already bought them so…"

Sighing dejectedly, Elsa plucked the stiff card from his hand. "I guess it can't be helped. Hopefully this movie - _"A Summer Night's Escape"_ \- isn't as cheesy as it sounds." She looked at Jack as the two entered the theater, handing the employee their tickets. "It isn't, right?" she asked skeptically.

"Shouldn't be," he said, briefly thanking the theater employee as he was handed back their stubs. "Most rated R movies aren't."

The platinum blond stopped in her tracks as she squinted her eyes at him. She saw him curiously look back at her, genuinely confused with her reaction to what he said. "...Jack," she stated, her voice low. "If a romantic movie is rated R, do you know why…?" Her face started to heat up when she saw him staring back at her as if she was crazy. When he did not provide her an answer, she huffed and averted her eyes. "Whatever," she snapped at him, "let's just go." Elsa briskly walked away, trying to hide her growing blush on her face from him. She could not believe that his obliviousness and innocence was genuine. He was _definitely_ up to something.

Jack stood there, a perplexed expression on his face as he held the back of his head. Finally he asked out loud, "...what? You think they'll die in the end? It's rated like that for the violence, _right_?"

* * *

It _definitely_ was not violent -

Jack hid his apple red face, a hand cupped over his mouth as he tried to filter out the constant moaning and sounds of sexual ecstasy coming from the movie - _no pun intended._

Had he been aware of why this movie was rated R, he would have avoided it because it was awkward as hell watching this with Elsa, who was just as equally embarrassed as he was. She had both hands covering the lower part of her face, but her eyes remained glued to the screen - strangely. A cherry red blush was covering her entire face as she witnessed the intimate scene unfolding on the screen. Although embarrassed, she seemed interested, which surprised Jack greatly. He thought she would dislike it because of the sexually explicit nature of this film, given that she did not have such a fond affinity for things of that nature in the past.

With a deep breath, Jack tried to keep his hormones in check and did his best to filter out the sounds that filled the movie theater. This was easier said than done since every corner he averted his eyes to, there were other couples passionately making out or doing ' _something else'_ that he definitely did not want to see. Sleeping was not an option, especially with how loud the movie was, so it was safe to say that Jack was stuck sitting there for the entirety of the movie, witnessing everything in full view.

After an exhausting hour and thirty minutes, the movie was finally over and the patrons slowly filed out of the aisles. Jack stood up with a sharp breath, amazing himself with the mental endurance he had for not letting his hormones get the better of him. He glanced down at Elsa, who was slowly moving to get up as well.

"Are you okay?" he asked, holding out his hand for her to grab.

A blushing mess, Elsa managed to nod gently as she followed Jack out of the dim theater. As they walked out, she heard him let out an uncomfortable cough followed by a muffled 'sorry.'

"Huh?" she questioned his apology.

"I uh," he muttered, holding a loose fist over his lips. "If I had known the movie was of that nature, I wouldn't have taken you in there…sorry."

"It's okay!" she quickly said, "w - well...I enjoyed watching it anyways - not because of the sex! It had a nice story too!" The blush across her face intensified as she tightly gripped Jack's hand.

Jack, wearing a blush that matched hers, quickly retorted in a stumbling stammer, "no, I know, uhm, things of that nature make you uncomfortable so - "

"I...didn't mind actually." Elsa waited until they were outside to start speaking once more. She held a loose fist over her chest as she spoke. "The context of which they did it over...it didn't disgust me - rather, it was touching." Her gaze dropped to the cold snow beneath their feet. "I never really understood the need to be intimate with someone, then what happened with Edwin...my neutrality on the matter turned to disgust. It felt like I was dirtying myself for doing such a thing, but I realize that it's not such a bad thing if you do it with someone you love."

The white haired man felt her grip on his hand tighten and he saw her tilting her head up to look at him eye-to-eye.

She let out a wry chuckle. "Sorry, it must sound cheesy of me to say, but I felt for the two main characters. They love each other, so the act came off as very beautiful and natural." Elsa giggled lightly at her own words. "What am I saying…?" she asked herself, shaking her head. Another laugh passed by her lips. It was not long before she stopped, silencing herself when she saw Jack move closer to her. Curiously, she snapped her head up to meet him.

"So you wouldn't mind if you did something like that with the person you liked?" he asked, his voice low and quiet. It sent shivers down her spine, unexpectedly.

Elsa averted her eyes back to the snow covered ground, finding it too hard to look at him directly. "I - I guess not." She felt her hands get clammy with a cold sweat and she moved to release her hand from his, but he held onto it tightly. "Jack - "

"...Did you like doing those things with me?..."

Her face heated up at his question. "W - We never went that far…!"

"We almost did, didn't we? At some points…" Jack exhaled softly, a puff of his warm breath visible against the cold air. He leaned down, gently pulling her in close for a hug. "...It felt as though you liked it."

Elsa did not answer him. She knew that she enjoyed his presence. It was only recently that they got into a more physical relationship and at first, she was frightened - wary of what would happen to her. However -

"I did," she answered, surprising Jack with that response. He had never expected her to agree with what he just said. Elsa leaned in closer to him and let a small smile play upon her face. "I was scared...I think I still am, but only because it's something I'm not used to. I know…- " She pulled away, just so that she could look up at him once more. " - the feelings I experience with you are different than what I've experienced with anyone else - ever."

Jack grew still when he felt her kiss him upon his lips. It was brief and light, but it was enough to send his heart racing.

Elsa flashed him an ardent smile, letting her hand linger upon his smooth cheek. "Although...those times when we were intimate, I was less fearful when I was the one in control of the situation, I think I can manage either way now." She gave him a shy look, pulling away her hand and turning away from him.

His eyes remained on her as she pulled out her phone from her handbag and checked the time. An overwhelming feeling swelled up inside of him as he acted upon an impulse that he had tried so hard to keep in check.

 _'Elsa…-'_

"Ah, it's almost 4. We should start heading back, shouldn't we - ?" Elsa barely let out a soft gasp. It all happened so fast. In a split second, she had felt Jack's arm wrap around her waist and turn her around so that she could face him. It was almost in that same second that he kissed her. Out of pure shock, she stiffened up her body, but quickly relaxed. Her arms briefly dropped behind her, lifeless and limp.

A pinkish blush covered her cheeks as she squeezed her eyes shut. It felt exhilarating to say the least. Although the kisses that she had initiated were still enough to get her heart fluttering, a majority of them were shy, butterfly kisses in the end. Whereas Jack's -

A cross between a sharp gasp and a moan came from deep within Elsa's throat when he parted his lips slightly mid-kiss and swiped his tongue across her bottom lip, silently asking for an entrance. She trembled, raising her hands up to his arms to clutch at the fabric of his blazer. Elsa leaned in closer, timidly parting her lips for him. Her hands went to the lapels of his coat and she gripped them in her small fists as he slipped his tongue into her mouth.

Her mind went completely blank and the only thing Elsa could think about was the sensation she felt whenever his tongue brushed past hers. He seemed shy at first, simply playing around at the entrance, but it was not long before he grew bolder and deepened the kiss. She assumed that the little sounds that she was making, unintentionally, were goading him on. Feeling slightly bold herself, Elsa finally attempted to move her own tongue, but that was when Jack decided to pull away - breaking their first passionate, open-mouthed kiss.

"Sorry," he breathed out, a light blush on his pale face.

"I-It's okay," she stuttered, bringing her bottom lip into her mouth and nibbling on it nervously. She was not quite sure what he was apologizing about, but she assumed that it was for pulling away just now. Which in that case, she thought an apology was necessary. She did not want him to stop.

"If we were somewhere more private," he muttered under his breath, avoiding her curious eyes.

That was when Elsa realized just how they were in full view of everyone that was planning to go see a movie that day. They were just in front of the theater building, standing in front of the entrance and practically allowing every other moviegoer to sneak peeks at them. She blushed at the mere thought of how they must have looked sharing such a passionate kiss in public.

"We should head back, like you said," Jack suggested, coughing awkwardly.

"R - Right."

The walk back to the car felt long and was silent, with neither of them saying a word to each other. Jack walked a few paces behind her. He could see her ears still red and the shy movements in her body- lingering from the earlier kiss. If he were to explain to her or to anyone as to why he kissed her so impulsively, the answer would be neither easy or difficult to explain.

He was not supposed to fall in love with her. That was a simple fact that he had been told over and over again by the people he worked for.

Make her fall in love with him - it was that simple. It would only complicate things if he were to fall in love with her, but…

"Jack, hurry! Anna's going to be angry with you if you make me late for the party!" she called out, already at his car and waving at him. He had not realized that he had fallen behind so far.

"Alright, alright, Ice Queen," he responded with a chuckle, breaking into a light jog to get to her.

Jack knew that he had already fallen in love with her. He knew this a long time ago and he knew that he could never fall out of it. No matter how hard he has tried.

"Ah, it's snowing again," Elsa commented as he started the car. She smiled warmly at the cold flakes that came down onto the earth.

"Looks like it," he said, keeping his hand on the gear shift as he looked at the snow coming down on the windshield. "...It really is pretty."

She laughed. "It is. It always reminds me of your hair, as strange as that sounds."

Despite what he had been told, despite what her family had done to his, despite what was going to happen to her - Jack was in love with her.

 _' - I'm sorry we had to fall in love under these circumstances. You don't deserve any of this...'_

* * *

Anna excitedly rushed about - occasionally greeting the guests that were already there, mostly her own friends, and some family friends. While a few servants were in charge of checking off the guest list, she did her best to stay on top of everything. Everything had to be flawless, since that was the way her older sister liked things to be.

"Kristoff!" she exclaimed, catching the blond young man setting up the last of the decorative lights outside in the gardens. "Are the preparations done?"

"Pretty much. Your sister should be here any minute, right?" He threw the last bit of the twinkling blue light set over a round bush.

Anna knew that he had been working hard ever since he arrived in the afternoon. For that, she was grateful. They barely met each other in the past few weeks and he did not even meet Elsa at all, but here he was, helping out in the best way that he could. "T - Thanks, Kristoff…" Her face heated up when he looked at her with his warm brown eyes. "Y - Y - You know!" she nervously exclaimed, averting her eyes away from his, "just for helping out on such short notice. I'm sure you were looking forward to your plans tonight with Sven."

He waved his hand nonchalantly. "It's fine," he answered her, smiling. "I told you earlier, it might have been for the better that I came here instead. The snow's already coming down pretty hard here, imagine how it'd be in the mountains right now." His smile turned into a cheeky grin, although this hardly did anything to ease Anna's guilt. Kristoff immediately took notice of this. "I swear, Anna!" he insisted. "Don't feel so bad about it. Besides, I've never really been to a party this big."

"Really?" She furrowed her brow at him, staring at him as if his skin was turning green.

Kristoff pulled his lips over to one side, puzzled with her reaction. "What's wrong with that?"

"Nothing, it's just...you never been invited to a party or anything?"

He chuckled. "Well, I wasn't really the 'popular' kid in school, but that was fine. I had more fun playing with animals rather than talking with people. I guess the other kids picked up on that, so they kinda just left me alone and never invited me to stuff. Not that I cared too much if they did or didn't." Kristoff sounded nonchalant about this, whereas Anna felt mortified for him.

She could never imagine being the odd-one out in a social setting or willingly being a loner - even though her own sister did not mind such a lifestyle. Anna would proudly refer to herself as a social butterfly. She never had problems making new friends or chatting it up with strangers. It was something she prided herself on. She enjoyed being with people and people enjoyed being with her. That was why people like Kristoff and Elsa never made sense to her.

Kristoff raised an eyebrow when he saw her dejected expression and her slouched shoulders. "What's wrong now?" he asked.

"Sorry," she muttered darkly, "if I had known you weren't really fond of parties, I wouldn't have called you over…"

He snorted, rather loudly, in response. "I never said that! Hell, I don't even know if I like parties since I've never been to one." He scratched the back of head, staring at her for a while. His voice grew soft as a soft blush covered his cheeks. "I mean, I do appreciate that you thought to invite me, Anna."

Snapping out of the gloomy daze she was in, Anna looked over at him with a bewildered expression. "Eh?" She quickly straightened herself out, clearing her throat as she did so. "Y - You're welcome," she answered ungracefully, initially caught off-guard by his sudden 'thank you'.

As the two moved to walk back inside, one of the maids rushed out towards them.

"Mistress!" she exclaimed breathlessly, "your sister is here! She's coming up the driveway!"

"Oh my god, okay, okay! Uh…" Anna held her head, making sure not to mess up her neatly bunned up hair, stammering and stuttering as she tried to sort out her thoughts. The detailed plans she had made for this party suddenly disappeared due to her nerves.

"...You should tell everyone to meet up at the entrance hall," he said, reminding her of her plan. He laughed when her blue eyes went wide in realization.

"Right! Right! Entrance hall, of course!" She rushed back inside, telling the maid to alert everyone else about the surprise plan. She ran through the house, excitedly yelling that Elsa had arrived and that everyone should gather up at the entrance.

Although most of the guests had not spread out across the estate yet, it was a challenge rallying everyone up and making sure that they all adhered to her plan. Anna did manage to round up everyone in time, thanks to several of the servants as well. As the party guests stood at the foot of the large double staircase, one of the maids turned down the lights.

A series of hushed whispers and people 'shushing' each other grew into a chorus as they all awaited anxiously for the moment Elsa stepped in through the front door. From outside, they all heard the sound of a car door slamming shut, then some muffled conversations.

"Everyone have their poppers ready?" Anna asked in a loud whisper.

A chorus of 'yes's and grunts passed through the entrance hall.

Finally, the moment they had all been waiting for had arrived. The front door swung open and immediately the lights were turned on, revealing a very surprised Elsa standing in the doorway.

"Surprise!" all the guests cheered, pulling on the strings of their poppers, only to have them not work.

Anna gave hers a few good yanks before exclaiming loudly. "Ah! Don't tell me they're defective!"

From behind her, she heard Kristoff let out a loud snort that turned into a snicker. It further irritated her when she spotted Jack from across the room, standing behind Elsa, and also holding a hand over his mouth while turned away. Obviously trying hard not to burst into laughter.

Anna attempted to move past the anti-climactic surprise entrance by giggling sheepishly. She threw the defective popper away and instead, opened up her arms widely. "Happy Birthday Elsa!"

The other guests followed suit, throwing away their own poppers, and wishing the Winters heiress a warm birthday welcome.

Elsa blushed, feeling more overwhelmed with happiness than she had thought she would be. She felt a familiar weight of a hand on her shoulder. Turning her head to look up at Jack, he smiled lovingly at her and said in an audible whisper, "Happy Birthday Elsa."

She flashed him a smile in return and mouthed to him a silent 'thank you', before she was embraced by her sister and approached by the many party guests.

* * *

It was an hour into the party and already it was in full swing. Most of the older guests were in the lounge, content with sipping on wines and indulging in the hors d'oeuvres while conversing with one another. While the younger guests, mainly Anna's large circle of friends, were either on the dance floor or out in the gardens.

Elsa was impressed with the entire party, especially with how quickly their refined ballroom was turned into a dance floor with strobes and a DJ booth.

"So, do you like it?" Anna asked her, grinning ear-to-ear as Elsa stood at one of the doorways that led out to the gardens. "I outdid the parties you threw me, right?"

"Definitely," the blond said in agreement. "This must have taken a lot of planning."

Anna heaved a loud sigh, throwing her arms down. "No kidding. I had to make all the calls to the party planners, the DJ, the cake designers - it was horrible, but it was all worth it to be able to throw you a great party in the end."

Elsa let out a soft laugh. "Thanks, Anna."

"No problem, Sis. Anything for you."

The two shared a tight embrace, mutually accepting each other's feelings, only to be interrupted by one of Anna's friends.

"Hey, Anna!" she exclaimed, coming up to her. She held a cup of soda in one hand as she used her other hand to point down the hall. Her voice was laced with excitement as she gave a sly grin to the red head. "Why didn't you tell me that you knew such a handsome guy?"

"Huh?"

"Him," she whispered, giggling as she pointed at Kristoff, who seemed to be awkwardly talking with a few of Anna's friends. He was constantly blushing and scratching the back of his head, obviously unsure of what to say to the girls. He had his back flat against the wall as the girls crowded around him, eager to speak with him. "Is he single?" she asked Anna.

The red head sighed tiredly, holding her head with one hand. "Could you guys tone it down a little? He's shy - "

"I know, that's what makes him cute," her friend snickered.

Anna felt a slight pang of jealousy rise up inside of her when she saw her friends flirting with Kristoff, but she ignored it, reminding herself that she had to focus on hosting Elsa's birthday party. Plus, as far as she knew, he was fair game. He was single and all they were, were friends. She had Hans anyways - she had no reason to be jealous.

"Oh!" Anna's friend exclaimed once more. "Some of the girls were wondering about Hans' friend too. He's gorgeous and - "

"What?" she shot her an incredulous look.

"Or...is he Hans' friend? I'm just assuming because they look like they're the same age. He's the guy with white hair that walked in with your sister earlier - "

"He's definitely off-limits! He's her boyfriend!" Anna scolded her friend sharply. She immediately shot a nervous glance over to Elsa, who coughed awkwardly into her loose fist while looking away.

Anna's friend widened her eyes in shock and quickly apologized to Elsa, who politely said that it was fine. It was an honest mistake after all. "I'm sorry! I thought he was just your bodyguard! I wasn't realize you two were dating -!"

"It's okay," the platinum blond replied with a light laugh.

"I'll go and tell the girls to back off. I'm so sorry!" she profusely apologized before darting off.

Sighing, Anna excused herself. "Sorry, Sis. I should probably see to it that they don't freak out or something in front of Jack."

"Ah, no - I'll go too," Elsa said, following her sister. It was not like she had anything else to do here since most of the guests were either friends of her father's or Anna's.

They followed Anna's friend and was led towards the stairs in the entrance hall, where they eventually spotted Jack. He was up against the railing, languidly carrying on a conversation with three girls who were obviously infatuated with him. However, it seemed as though he was oblivious to this matter, as he continued to respond to them in a relaxed manner.

"Girls!" Anna's friend shouted, grabbing their attention. She made a motion with her arm, quickly telling them to come over to her and leave Jack. They seemed unwilling, wishing to speak with the handsome bodyguard more, but they begrudgingly complied with their friend's urgent demands and said their goodbyes to him.

As Anna and her friend filled the rest of the girls in on who they can and cannot flirt with at this party, Elsa walked up the stairs to meet with Jack. "Enjoying the party?" she asked.

"Somewhat," he answered, chuckling. "I mean, all I am is security for the night. Although...my job would be a little bit easier if I wasn't getting stopped by Anna's friends every few minutes."

Elsa giggled in response and glanced down at the group of girls, who seemed to be coming to a realization of who they just flirted with. "I think Anna's taking care of it. They shouldn't bother you anymore, but…" She reached up to straighten out the collar of his dress shirt, spreading it open and loosening his tie. "You're here as a guest too, not just as my bodyguard."

Jack smirked at her. "Are you permitting me to have fun, Miss Winters?"

"Depends on what your definition of 'fun' is, Frost," she answered, returning his smirk with one of her own, before breaking down into a soft laugh. She patted his chest once, gently. "It's okay. I have a good feeling about tonight... _nothing's_ going to happen."

He chuckled in agreement. "...You're probably right."

* * *

"Hans!" Anna cheered happily as she rushed over to her boyfriend. She threw her arms around him as soon as one of the butlers took his heavy winter coat over to the coat check. "I'm glad you could make it," she said, snuggling into his embrace.

"Glad to be here," he answered, greeting her with a handsome smile. As he pulled away, he and Anna stepped off to the side, allowing his bodyguard and Aaron to enter the mansion. Sera was in a skin-tight, cream colored one piece dress, perfectly fitting in with the casual-formal dress code Anna had for this party. Hans was well, in a well-fitted dress shirt rolled up to his elbows and a dark gray weskit. Aaron on the other hand was dressed as if he was going to court.

Anna made no such comments as to his overly formal attire. She knew from Hans that his brother was uptight and dressed like that almost everyday.

She greeted all of them kindly, no sooner joined by Elsa, who seemed happy that Aaron was able to attend.

"Thank you for coming," Elsa said to him with a graceful smile. "I know you must be busy with your new position at the corporation."

Aaron chuckled, a rare sight. "It's fine, Elsa. I said I would attend your birthday party. I do my best to keep my promises."

Her smile broadened. It took a while, but she thought it was safe to say that she could be on friendly terms with him. Upon an initial meeting, he came off as cold and uncaring, but she was glad that she went with her gut feeling about him. He was always trying to do what's best for her and to help her out in any way.

As the two pairs of siblings talked with each other, Jack stood off to the side, quietly trying to avoid eye contact with Sera, who seemed eager to talk to him. He was wary of her because of what had happened a few days ago. He definitely did not want a knife held to his throat again.

"Jack - right?" she called out, walking up to him with her hands folded behind her. She seemed shy approaching him, although this did nothing to ease his wariness towards her.

"Yeah." He decided to keep his responses short to her.

"I - uhm - apologize for what happened last time," she said, scratching her cheek lightly with her index finger. She averted her gray eyes to the ground, seemingly humble in front of him.

"It's fine, like I said last time."

"I held a knife to your throat and nearly killed you. You think that's fine?" she asked, widening her eyes.

Jack nodded in response, although he was truthfully lying. He let out a surprised sound when he felt her throw herself at him, capturing him in another hug, much like the one she gave him last time.

"Thank you!" she cheered, overjoyed. "You're too kind to me, Jack!"

Embarrassed by her overreaction, he attempted to pry her off of him, discreetly without hurting her feelings. "U - Uhm," he stammered, unable to remember her name.

"Sera," she said, smiling up at him. "My name's Sera." Her voice was soft and girly, with the way she spoke to him being almost childish. All this coupled with how short she was, he could have mistaken her for an actual child.

"R - Right, Sera. Uhm, it's fine. Really, so - " With some degree of difficulty, he took her arms off of him. She was a lot stronger than she looked. Jack let out a nervous laugh as he brought her arms back down to her sides. He held them there, stating to her, "I'd just like for you to forget about it."

"Would that make you happy?" she asked, her gray eyes wide.

"Uh - sure."

She vigorously nodded her head. "Okay! I'll forget about it!" Before she could say anything else to him, Hans called her over, much to Jack's relief.

He sighed softly, unsure of why this girl behaved so oddly around him. A part of him wondered where Hans got such an unusual bodyguard and if this girl was even a capable bodyguard for that matter.

Elsa seemed to have ended her conversation with Aaron and was walking back over to Jack. She giggled into her hand at the expression he wore. "You look so surprised," she commented.

Jack gave her a dry laugh. "Well, I just spoke with Hans' bodyguard again."

"Say no more," she said, glancing over at the short woman. "I still remember the last time we met her. She's definitely - "

" - Interesting," the both of them said at the same time. At this, they both stifled down a laugh.

"Okay, you lovebirds," Anna said, approaching them with a smirk. It deepened when she saw the two blush at the word she called them. "It's time for birthday girl here to blow out the candles," she stated.

"You got a cake?" Elsa asked, blinking.

"Why do you sound so surprised? Of course I got you a cake. I've been saying it ever since the party began!"

"No, it's just...are you sure you have enough cake for this many people…?"

* * *

Jack had to admit...Anna outdid herself once again. He had never gotten a look at the cake that the young girl kept boasting about. She said only the finest French bakers and designers worked on it and he had no doubt that this claim was true.

It was a three tier red velvet cake, enormous in size, but not so tall that it was like a wedding cake. It was covered in white cream frosting and decorated with red powdered sugar. On top of each tier were candied red cherries, dotted around in a circular design. The frosting itself had swirled designs etched into it and a red decorating liquid was drizzled all around in a uniform manner. At the very top, a red velvet bar was carved out to read, "Happy Birthday Elsa."

Anna lit the nineteenth candle, carefully making sure that none of the hot wax would get onto the cake. She shook out the match and handed it over to an awaiting butler who stood behind her. "Okay!" she exclaimed, making sure everyone in the large dining room could hear her.

Jack estimated that there were at least a hundred guests and it amazed him that they all managed to quiet down upon cue.

"Everyone!" Anna grabbed everyone's attention by clapping her hands together. She threw her arm around Elsa's shoulders and stated, "thank you all for coming tonight! I know most of you aren't exactly friends with her, but it still means a lot to me and to her for being here. _Nooooow_ \- it's time to sing!"

Elsa's face redden with a bright blush as she stood there uncomfortably in front of everyone, who began singing the 'happy birthday' song. She fidgeted and averted her eyes to the ground, unsure of what to do or where to look. It was the first time she ever had such a large birthday party, much less having this many people singing to her.

Among the masses, chorusing throughout the song, she heard an all-too familiar, baritone voice singing beside her. She whipped her head around and felt her heart racing at the sight of Jack. His blue eyes rested on her in a soft, warm gaze, as his lips moved just slightly with each word.

 _"Happy birthday to you…"_

He had sang her the song every year for her birthday before, but this was the first time he made her heart race this much. Perhaps it was because this was the first time he sang it to her with such a look of adoration in his eyes.

 _"Happy birthday, dear Elsa…"_

She could not really hear everyone else that sang. Her mind could only hear Jack.

 _"Happy birthday to you…"_

The song had ended, but Elsa kept her eyes glued onto him in a blushing daze. She could barely hear the soft applause that went through the dining room. It was eventually Anna who snapped her out of her daze and urged that she blow out the candles before the wax dripped onto the cake.

"Make a wish!" she reminded her as Elsa puffed up her cheeks.

 _'I wish - '_

She closed her eyes not a moment later, a wish fresh in her mind. In one puff, she blew out all nineteen candles, eliciting another round of applause through the audience.

"Jeez, Elsa, did you even wish for something? You blew them out so fast!" Anna commented.

"I did, don't worry," Elsa laughed softly. She looked over at Jack, flashing him a little smile before looking back at the cake.

* * *

A blood red liquid oozed out from a candied cherry that she stabbed with her tiny silver fork. A pair of dark red lips parted, allowing for the sweet morsel to slide into her mouth. She lightly hummed a tune as she leaned back against the icy cold, stone balcony guard. The cold winter air did not bother her in the very least, even with her exposed legs and arms.

As she continued eating her cake, she did not bother pausing to acknowledge Aaron as he joined her on the outdoor balcony.

He silently stood a few feet away from her, holding the small plate with a single slice of birthday cake on top. From beside him, he heard her continuously humming a common nursery rhyme - over and over again.

"...You shouldn't be out here," he finally said.

"Hm?" She held her fork clasped in between her lips. A light giggle escaped her as she eat another portion of her cake slice. "You suddenly care about my condition, Aaron?"

"I just don't want my little brother's bodyguard to get frostbite." His eyes averted towards her. "You know fully well that you'll die before you feel any pain."

"I know!" she exclaimed, giggling again.

"Then why are you out here? Look - your knees are already turning red."

"Why do you suddenly care, Aaron?" she asked, incredulously before laughing out loud all of a sudden. "I can get frostbite all I want!" Sera promptly dug her heeled sandals into a large pile of accumulated bitingly cold snow. "See?"

Aaron did not bat an eye towards her childish behavior. Instead, he did his best to ignore it.

When Sera saw that she was not eliciting a response from him, her disposition suddenly turned sour. The smile upon her face turned into a scowl as she held the fork in her mouth tightly.

"...Are you angry that I'm not giving you the attention you want?" Aaron asked bluntly, causing the young woman to glare at him. "Do you want me to pity you - ?"

"...Shut up, you disgusting four-eyes," she growled out threateningly, taking one last stab at her cake.

"Oh?" he asked, not finding her sudden change in personality to be surprising. "It didn't take much for you to show me your true colors. I wonder if Hans knows this side of you, does he? Or does he not?"

"Shut up - "

"Do you not show him because you're in love with him? You know that it will never work out since he has Anna - "

"Shut up!" she suddenly screamed, tightly clenching the fork in her small hand. She raised it threateningly, almost as if she was about to stab Aaron with it.

He, on the other hand, remained cool - simply taking a step back as he stared at her with an impassive gaze. "...Hm...I see," he said, adjusting his glasses. "I don't know why Hans insists upon keeping such an impulsive bodyguard like you, but I'll see to it to have you removed from our household immediately."

"Fuck you - !"

" - Hans has no need for someone like you, Sera...same goes for the Winters."

She froze up immediately. At this, Aaron smiled as he turned back around to head inside.

"I know you've been getting paid by Winters Corporation for something. It's only a matter of time before I figure out just what you're up to. I suppose if it was this easy finding out your true colors, it shouldn't be too hard finding out your true intentions...goodnight, Sera. We'll talk tomorrow morning about letting you go."

Her face hardened at the sight of his smug grin before he left her at the balcony. Once he had left, she stood out there for a few minutes in silence. Finally, she pulled her foot out of the snow pile and stared at the raw, red skin. It would normally hurt other people, a numbingly painful injury, but it did not hurt her at all.

Instead, she shook her foot a little to get rid of the excess snow and muttered, "it's _you_ who's not needed, disgusting four-eyes."

* * *

It was almost midnight and the party was starting to wind down. A few of Anna's friend left, most of them having their parents or drivers pick them up. Most of the older guests had left an hour ago.

Elsa yawned, nibbling at her fourth piece of birthday cake as she sat at the long dining room table alone.

"Still eating, Ice Queen?"

She blinked tiredly at Jack, who walked up to her with a playful smirk on his face. Her mind shut down, simply too tired to form a proper response for him.

"Hey - "

"Huh?" Elsa's eyes widened when she felt him cup her chin and lean forward. She felt him lick off some excess cream that was on the corner of her mouth. "Wha - ?" Blushing wildly, she immediately snapped out of her sleepy daze.

"You had some cream there," he said with a soft snicker, finding her reaction amusing.

"You could have just wiped it off with a napkin like a normal person!" she screamed, thoroughly embarrassed at how he had teased her.

"That's no fun," he pouted, only to receive another scolding from the blond.

"It isn't a matter of 'fun'!" Huffing at him, Elsa crossed her arms over her chest and left her unfinished cake on the table. "I'm going to sleep."

Jack followed her out of the dining room. "Some of the guests are still here though," he reminded her.

"Anna and the servants can take care of the end of the party," she answered, refusing to look back at him. She did not want to give him the satisfaction of seeing her embarrassed expression. As she went up the stairs, much to her irritation, she heard Jack following closely behind her.

"Are you sure?" he asked, "they might start asking where you are."

"Then you just tell them I went to sleep," she responded flatly.

"Hm," Jack contemplated as he reached the top step of the stairs. "What about the presents?"

"I'll go through them tomorrow - "

"No, I mean, what if you didn't get all of them."

"What do you mean? Everyone already - " Elsa turned around, intent on finishing her sentence and telling Jack that she was really tired and only desired to go turn in for the night. However, she stopped at the sight of a small, blue colored jewelry box being held out to her. "This is - ?" she breathed out.

"Happy birthday, Elsa," he said ardently, holding it closer to her, silently urging her to take it. "I promise it's not a hairpin this time," he assured her with a light chuckle.

She recognized the box. It was the same one that she saw him drop the other day in front of the corporation. With trembling hands, she took it and carefully opened it up. Inside was the same necklace that she had seen before, but now that she could look at it up close, she realized just how beautifully crafted it was.

It was in the shape of a bird, it's wings outstretched and its head bowed down low as if it was ready to fly down towards its intended goal. It was made out of dozens of small blue crystals clustered together to form the beautiful figure.

"J...ack," she whispered, unable to form the right words to say. She wanted to say 'thank you,' but she feared that it would not be enough to convey what she was feeling right now.

"Do you want help putting it on?"

Elsa could only nod her head. She saw him take the necklace out of the box, holding it by its delicate chain. He walked around her, holding either end of the chain and swinging his arm over her head so that he could fasten the necklace. Her lower lip started to tremble as he finished clasping the ends of the chain together.

From behind, Jack heard her starting to cry softly.

"Elsa…?" he asked, looking over at her in concern. He saw the clear tears falling from her eyes and straight onto the floors. She kept her head bowed and her small shoulders shook. "Elsa?" he asked again, turning her around so that she could face him. "If you don't like it I can return it - "

"Stupid," she whispered out, finally raising her head to look at him. Her crystal blue eyes were glossy with tears as she wiped them away with the back of her hands, as a small child would. "You can't tell the difference between happy and sad tears?" she cried, sniffling.

"Huh?"

"I'm happy," she whispered, hiccupping in between words, "I'm so happy…"

Jack smiled, relief passing through his body when he saw that she was simply crying out of happiness. "It was nothing," he answered her modestly, "it's just a necklace." He gently brought her in for a hug and buried his face into her soft blond hair. "But I'm glad you like it so much."

A nearby grandfather clock's pendulum clacked away, swinging with each second. The minute hand was just about to hit the midnight mark -

"Happy Birthday, Elsa."

She laughed against his shoulder. "You said that so many times today."

"Once more wouldn't hurt, right?" he chuckled, holding her tightly. "...Happy birthday."

Another sniffle and Elsa shyly asked of him, "...c - could you sing again?"

"Hm?"

"It's what I wished for," she admitted, "to hear you sing 'happy birthday' to me every year, for _every_ birthday until I have no more birthdays."

"What kind of wish is that?" he asked, laughing softly. Jack smiled, gently holding the back of her head as he held her. "You know that it's not your birthday now, technically."

"Still."

"Mm - I'll hum it then."

"Three times if you hum it."

"Why three? That's so specific," he said, laughing once more. Despite her odd command, he followed it, closing his eyes and humming the tune of the joyous song softly into her ear as he held her close.

"Once more," she mumbled as soon as he ended.

Jack reopened his eyes slightly at the feeling of the necklace she wore, pressing up against his chest. In a gentle, somber whisper he told her, "I know, I know - three times."

* * *

"Did you see Sera anywhere?"

Anna shook her head slowly, raising an eyebrow. "I thought she would be here in the entrance hall." She saw panic slowly fill Hans' green eyes as he nervously darted them all around his field of vision. "Uh, where's Aaron?" she asked him, wondering why he was in such distress. She thought it would be due to his brother's sudden disappearance almost immediately after the cake cutting.

"...U - Uh, he said he had to return home. Couldn't stay too late since he had to be somewhere early tomorrow morning." Hans seemed jittery.

The strawberry blond stared at him. "Do you...need a ride? I can ask Simon - "

"No, no...I think I'll just take a taxi." He laughed nervously, clenching and unclenching his fists as he spoke to her. "...Sorry, Anna. I need to go find Sera. If she left the party on her own - I don't know what I'd do."

"Oh," Anna responded. She did feel concerned for the missing bodyguard, but she was sure that Sera was capable of handling herself, so she saw no reason for Hans' level of concern right now. "Uh, be careful then."

"Yeah."

She wrinkled her brow as Hans quickly left through the front door. A pang of hurt struck her heart. He was acting so strange and he left without even a hug or a proper goodbye. It hurt her. Even throughout the evening, she felt as if he was not even her boyfriend. He would frequently disappear or be with Sera. Granted, she was busy hosting the party, but Anna would have appreciated him giving her just a little bit more attention than he did with his bodyguard.

...Just a little bit more.

* * *

 _Hans!~ I found a song that I like a lot!_

He tightly gripped his cell phone as he sat in the back of the taxi. "Please...please hurry!" he urged the driver, who snapped at him to calm down.

 _Do you remember the white roses we saw?_

"Here! Please drop me off here!" he exclaimed, pointing at a street sign that was barely lit up with a dim street light.

"Are you sure, man?" the taxi driver asked, looking around as he parked on the side of the road. "There's nothing on White Rose cut-off - "

"I'm sure!" he boldly insisted, throwing a hundred dollar bill at the front seat before he exited the taxi. He was immediately hit with a blast of cold, icy air. A brewing snowstorm was about to fall onto Arendelle.

He panted, his eyes widened almost crazily in desperation as he tried to search for Sera or Aaron, but he knew that they were most likely together. Unable to find any physical clues that they were there, he pulled out his phone again, checking the text that Sera had sent him a little over an hour ago.

 _The white roses are red now…_

They were sent separately, all in rapid succession after one another.

 _Ring-a-round the rosie,_

Hans looked up and he could faintly make out some tire tracks that were starting to get covered up with freshly fallen snow. He drew in a sharp breath and ran towards them.

 _A pocket full of posies,_

Red taillights could be seen, as well as the yellow emergency lights- flashing on and off slowly...

 _Ashes! Ashes!_

A wild wind whipped around him as he approached the car slowly. It was his. The front right tire was blown out and the car itself had slammed into a guardrail, preventing it from falling down the steep mountain side.

"A - Aaron…?" he called out at first, softly, but his voice grew in volume when he realized no one was responding. "Aaron!" he shouted, trying to overcome the howling icy wind. He shivered, not because it was cold, but because he began to hear a familiar nursery rhyme from behind him.

 _We all fall down_

"Ring-a-round the rosie...A pocket full of posies...Ashes! Ashes!...We all fall down…"

He turned, slowly, towards the direction of the song. His feet felt like lead bricks as he stumbled through the blizzard, his shivering intensifying with each step. As the image before him became more clear, his green eyes widened in pure fear.

"Ring-a-round the rosie," she sang again, stabbing the knife deep into the dead body. "A pocket full of posies…" She slid the blood covered knife across the white snow, creating a circle of blood around the corpse. A serene smile decorated her face as she repeated the process until the circle was a bold line.

Hans shook. "S - Sera…?" he called out hesitantly.

The black haired woman turned around, her gray eyes reflecting a peaceful aura. She had blood all over her white dress and on her pale skin. "Hans," she replied calmly.

"Wh - Why did you - ?" he stammered, taking another step forward.

"He told me to. He said...it would make you happy. He said it would make you fall in love with me."

"This…" Hans swallowed a growing lump in his throat. "This would make me happy…?"

Sera happily nodded. "Mhm!" She stabbed the dead body again, drawing more blood. At this point, she had mutilated him -

...His brother, Aaron.

"You know, he was going to ruin everything. He knew what was going on inside of the Winters' corporation and he was going to tell the entire thing to Elsa sooner or later. He was going to find me out and eventually that was going to lead to you! He would have figured out your plans, Hans! I did this to protect you! I'm your bodyguard, aren't I!?" she desperately cried out. "Aren't I…?" she whispered, dropping the knife onto the ground and walking over towards him.

Hans let out a frightened gasp when he felt her blood covered cup his face. "Y...You are…"

"Do you love me?" she asked. "I killed him for you. Do you love me now, Hans? He said that you would never love me like you do with your girlfriend. You love me right? Not her?"

Fearful of what she would do next and too shocked at what she had done, Hans simply agreed. "I...do…"

"I'm so happy," she professed with a sweet smile. Sera leaned up, tainting his white dress shirt with the blood of his brother, and kissed him softly. "I'm so happy you love me, Hans...I told you, I'll help you achieve your goals no matter what."

Hans' hands twitched as he felt her kiss him again. His eyes remained on his brother's cold corpse as he muttered silently, "thank you...Sera." A tear slid out of his eyes. "...for everything."


	21. A Traitor's Due

**Marionette**

 **Chapter 21 - A Traitor's Due**

 _Warnings: Sexual themes_

* * *

 _"I know it's only been a year since you became Elsa's bodyguard, Jack. Has it been fun so far? It must be right? Spending time carelessly with a little girl that knows nothing about the truth about this corrupt world, spending time within that bloodstained household that hides it all behind the guise of a perfect family. It's disgusting, isn't it, Jack? Especially when some of the blood on their hands belongs to no one other than your parents."_

 _"...My parents…?"_

 _"They never wanted to abandon you, Jack. They just had no other choice. They loved you very much, wouldn't you like to show your thanks by killing all the people responsible for their cold blooded murders?"_

 _Jack's hands trembled, wondering how he should even begin to comprehend this information that was thrown at him. He had parents that loved him and unwilling had him ripped out of their arms by a cruel twist in fate. How was he supposed to respond to that?_

 _"Your real parents, Jack, they were noble people. The Guardians...your adoptive family never told you about them, did they? They've kept a lot of secrets from you Jack, more than you can imagine." A long sigh drew out from past the man's thin lips. "I suppose that they're just looking out for themselves in the end. If you knew who your real parents are and that the Winters killed them, it would harm the Guardians and turn you against them."_

 _"N - North...Toothiana...they would never do that! They love me!" The young man's face fell, his expression turning dismal at the reality of the situation. He started to feel cheated, lied to - he had thought the Guardians were all people he could trust, but the glaringly harsh truth remained. They were withholding information from him. Did they just not trust him enough or did they still view him as an outsider?_

 _"...You want answers don't you Jack? Do you want to know why you need to suffer while everyone else has it so easy? ...Don't you want to know who you are...Jack Frost?"_

 _His blue eyes stared at the dark silhouette of the man standing before him._

 _"I can give you all the answers you desire, Jack. You can trust me."_

 _"How…? How do you know all this? Why do you want to help me?"_

 _"Because - the Winters ruined my life just like they did yours and countless others. Revenge is a powerful thing that brings upon the greatest change. Don't you agree…?"_

* * *

A warm sunlight flooded the bedroom, slightly dimmed by the light green curtains that were draped over the large rectangular windows. A bundle of thick bed sheets moved slightly. Finally a puff of disheveled strawberry blond hair peeked out from the top and finally a head emerged.

Anna let out a loud yawn, sleepily blinking as she reached out her arm to feel around on her nightstand for her phone. When she grabbed the device, she brought it towards her and stared at the display screen to look at the time. It was a little bit past noon already. With a low groan, she slapped the phone down on the pillow above her head as she burrowed her face deeper into the warmth of her bed sheets provided her. Even though her sister loved the cold weather, Anna hated it. It was an absolute torture to try and wake up in the mornings when it was chilly.

With much difficulty, she moved slowly, knowing that she needed to get up eventually. She sat herself up in bed, her thick bed sheets resting over her head like a hood. Her blue eyes were unfocused in a sleepy daze as she stared off into nothing for the longest of time before she moved again. She grunted as she ungracefully stumbled off her bed and let out a soft whimper from how cold the air felt in her room. Although the sun was out, Anna knew that it would be another cold day. She had to remind Wendy to turn on the heaters as soon as she got out of the shower.

Anna grabbed her green bathrobe and slipped it over herself. It provided some warmth, but not too much, not as much as she wanted at least. She opened the door to her room and shivered even more at the feeling of even colder air sweeping past her. Compared to her room, the hallways were even worse.

She walked around, hoping to locate Wendy somewhere without venturing too far. The thought of using the intercom built into the house did not occur to her as she stumbled down the hallway. She passed by Elsa's study, then past one of the bathrooms. That was when the door to it opened up.

Kristoff walked out, still in the same clothes he had been wearing last night and apparently having just woken up as well. He rubbed his eyes and the two locked gazes for a second before sleepily mumbling to each other 'good morning,' even though it was past noon. They nearly went their separate ways before a realization dawned on Anna.

Her blue eyes shot open wide and she whipped around towards Kristoff, who had already begun trudging back towards the guest bedrooms. "Wait a minute!" she screeched.

The lumbering blond man stopped in his tracks and simply looked over his shoulder at her. "...Huh?" he mumbled back.

"Don't ' _huh_ ' me!" she shouted, "what are you doing here! I thought you left last night!"

"Your sister's bodyguard or butler or whatever told me I should stay. The snowstorm last night was intense - "

Anna cut him off with a loud scoff as she placed her hands on her hips. "All the other guests left! Why didn't you - ?" She stopped when she saw Kristoff walking off, still in his sleep-induced daze, completely ignoring her. "Hey!" she shouted out after him, "don't just walk off when I'm talking to you! ... Kristoff!" The young girl let out a frustrated growl, a hot blush across her face. She stormed off, intent on searching for her older sister. Again, the thought of using the intercom did not cross her mind.

She did not have to go far to find her, luckily. Elsa was in the downstairs lounge, presumably looking for a change in setting for her studies since she had all of her schoolwork laid out in front of her on the long coffee table. Sitting across from her was Jack, who seemed to be helping her out with some paperwork.

"Elsa!" she snapped, catching the attention of the couple.

"Oh, Anna," the platinum blond said as she pulled herself away from her studies. "What's wrong?" She quirked up an eyebrow as she looked over her. "Why aren't you dressed?"

"I wanted to find Wendy so that she could turn on the heater since it's so cold in here - "

"Is it?" Jack asked her, adjusting his thick black rimmed reading glasses, earning him a sharp glare from the red head. He quickly averted his eyes back down to the documents in his hands, wordlessly, hoping to avoid getting caught in the ensuing crossfire.

Anna returned her attention back onto Elsa. "On the way, I ran into Kristoff!" she snapped.

"Oh, Jack told me. He wanted to leave last night, but it was almost 2 AM and he needs to take the public buses. Most of them stopped running because of the snowstorm, so Jack suggested that he stay here for the night. I thought it was fine. We have plenty of guest bedrooms after all."

"You guys should have told me!" Anna huffed. "He saw me in my pajamas just now!" She looked mortified, letting out a whine in frustration. Anna looked mortified as she hid her wildly blushing face in her hands. "He caught me so off-guard and surprised me - !"

"Why do you care if he sees you in your pajamas?"

" _Because_ , Elsa, he's a boy!"

" - I see you in your pajamas all the time - "

" - You don't count, Jack!"

The two stared at the young girl as if she had gone insane, which was a plausible guess with how she was overreacting to Kristoff seeing her in her pajamas. Elsa frowned slightly as Anna stormed off, stomping as she went upstairs once again.

"It's probably just hormones, plus Anna's never really a morning person anyways. Don't worry about it," Jack said with a soft chuckle, seeing the blond's worried expression.

"You sure? She was overreacting... _a bit_ ," Elsa muttered, returning her focus back to her studies. She peered up at Jack, who was being helpful at the moment and reading over a draft of her thesis, fixing any grammatical errors and general awkwardness in her wording. "Thanks," she said to him and when he blinked at her curiously, she pointed at the papers in his hand. "...I know all that business drivel isn't exactly the most interesting thing in the world."

"Please," Jack scoffed, smirking. "Try having to read through a dozen scientific articles on thermodynamics and biodegradability all in one night."

"I'll pass," she replied with a soft giggle. "Science was never my strong point." Elsa sighed, smiling as she propped her elbow up against her knee as she leaned her head against her hand. "Why did you want to do it? To get a degree in chemical engineering, I mean. It's one of the hardest degrees to get. Did you want to become an engineer?"

"No," Jack simply answered with a gentle laugh. "I'm perfectly content being your bodyguard forever."

Elsa, touched by his statement, blushed a little, but pressed on with her question. She was curious. "But if you just wanted to be a bodyguard, you could have just done any easy major...or just not attend an university at all."

The white haired man answered back, "I could have, but your father was insistent that I attend Burgess. He was willing to pay all my school fees and expenses, couldn't really turn down a generous offer like that. Plus, the Guardians really warmed up to the idea that I study chemical engineering, especially since Sandy is a professor in the field. I could help him out with some of the tech we use."

"Oh I see." It made sense to Elsa. She had always wondered why Jack decided to take up a major that usually studious bookworms like her were interested in pursuing. "I don't know how you managed to balance your schoolwork with everything else," she said, "It must have been hard."

When all Jack did was give her his signature dorky smile, coupled with a shrug of his shoulders, Elsa could not help, but laugh.

"It was alright. It could have been worse," he said, his eyes falling back to her thesis paper as he shared in her laughter with a low chuckle of his own.

"How?"

"Well...I could have been forced to read _this_ ," he replied while raising the papers in his hand.

Elsa rolled her eyes at him, before breaking out into a smirk. " _You_ were the one that volunteered to look over it."

"Hm." Jack stood up from the sofa and walked over to her side. He plopped himself down on the sofa she was sitting on and held out her thesis in front of her. "This part sounds awkward," he said in a slightly taunting manner and with his trademark smirk.

She narrowed her eyes at him as she swiped the papers out of his hand. Darting her eyes back and forth, Elsa silently read through the part where Jack claimed that it sounded awkward. She became engrossed in searching for it, intent on arguing with him that it was written perfectly, just to wipe that smug smirk off of his face.

As she did, Jack smiled gently as he watched her so determined to prove him wrong. He found that he liked that about her. Whereas most other people would see it as an unrelenting stubbornness that would wear them out, Jack saw it as her drive to reach her goals and that was what he liked about Elsa. While she seemed passive and calm on the outside, he knew that she had a fiery, commanding spirit deep down inside of her.

"...It doesn't sound awkward!" Elsa suddenly exclaimed, "the wording just needs to be like that!"

"Really?" he asked, his voice just a decibel above a soft whisper.

" _Really_. It just sounds awkward to you since this part is more technical, Jack - " She stopped when she finally turned to face him. Elsa blinked, finding him uncomfortably close to her and quickly turned away. She scooted away a little, a fresh blush blooming on her cheeks from the close proximity of their bodies. "A - Anyways," she stammered out, trying to ignore the fact that he was practically boring holes through her with his stare. "That's why...I probably shouldn't...change...it - _Jack_!" she sharply scolded him when she felt him place a feather light kiss on the nape of her neck.

Elsa clapped her hand over the area where he kissed and practically flew back away from him. She looked at him indignantly, even more so when he flashed her a playful smirk.

"What's the matter, Ice Queen?" he asked, feigning innocence as he propped a knee up onto the sofa. He leered down at her, moving closer as she kept scooting away from him.

"Y - You know damn well what's wrong!" Elsa let out a surprised squeak when the middle of her back met the armrest of the sofa. She shrunk down, squeezing her eyes shut, and crossing her arms over her chest - subconsciously believing that doing so would ward Jack away from her.

A startled gasp escaped past her lips when she felt him gently prod her neck with his nose. No sooner did she feel his soft lips placing another kiss upon her pale skin once more. Her eyes shot open when she felt him flick out his tongue, sending shivers down her spine. The feeling felt foreign to her, but the blush upon her face intensified at the sensation. It tickled, but most of all, it felt _nice_.

" _Ah_ \- Jack…! Wait! My thesis - !" she protested, as he moved in closer. She held onto her papers tightly as he tried to pull them away from her clutches, just to get it out of their way. Elsa let go of the document with a sharp gasp when Jack took hold of her wrist and pressed his body up against hers, practically pinning her against the armrest.

The papers crashed onto the hardwood floors, eliciting a whine from her.

"Y - You jerk!"

" - Don't worry," he murmured, dotting kisses around her neck, "they're clipped at the top. Your papers are fine. It's only the rough draft after all. It's okay if they get a little bit messy?"

"No it's not - _ah_ \- !" Elsa immediately shut her mouth after emitting a lewd sound. She kept her lips tightly clasped together in fear of becoming too loud. As much as this act was embarrassing, she felt shockwaves of pleasureable goodness pulse throughout her body with each caress, each lick, and each kiss.

Jack pulled himself away, looking down at her curiously. "...Is it - bad?" he asked.

"H - Huh?" she managed to stammer out in her daze.

"You look like you don't like it."

Elsa came to a realization that her body language could come off in that way. Her arms were held in front of her, her eyes were squeezed shut, and her lips were in a firm line - but only to make sure that she would not elicit anymore strange noises. "No," she breathed out, shaking her head, "well - _I mean_ \- I guess not. What I mean to say is - !" She stopped when she felt him place a kiss on her cheek.

Jack pulled away again, a shy blush upon his face, and asked her, "do you...want to try it again?"

"What…?"

"Kissing - "

Elsa was confused. They had kissed plenty of times before. Why was Jack treating it as if it was their first time? Despite her skepticism, she nodded shyly and sank back against the armrest again as soon as she felt his soft lips capture hers.

It was not long before she realized what he actually meant by _'kissing_.' Her entire being shivered when she felt him run his tongue over her lower lip slowly, back and forth, until she hesitantly parted her lips for him. Once he was allowed access, Jack snaked his arm around her waist and held her close, seeking to deepen the kiss.

 _'So that's what he meant - '_

It was messy, sloppy, and uncoordinated since they were both amateurs when it came to the art of performing the open-mouthed kiss - which was to be expected since they were both each other's firsts when it came to romantic intimacy. Despite the sloppy technique and execution, it did not take away from the pleasure that Elsa felt from it.

Her small hands went up to him, briefly resting upon his chest, clutching at his dress shirt. As the kiss deepened, the sound of wet smacking growing louder and she felt herself needing more from him physically. Sensually, but still innocently, Elsa slowly wrapped her arms around his neck. She then slid the tips of her fingers underneath the collar of his dress shirt, desiring to touch more of him.

They finally pulled away with a wet pop of their lips. A thin string of saliva connected them until Elsa broke it by wiping her lips with the back of her hand. There was a new look in her blue eyes, a smoldering, heated look that captivated Jack. It was as if she was casting a spell on him, hypnotizing him to do whatever it is she wanted him to do. Needless to say, Jack fell for it.

He moved in close, crawling towards her as she led him in by a gentle tug of his necktie. Jack could have sworn that he saw the slightest bit of a smirk on her face. She was having him wrapped around her finger, but he had no complaints. He considered himself a lucky man to be at the mercy of a woman of her caliber.

Elsa brought up one of her hands to pull off his thick-rimmed glasses and promptly dropped them on the floor next to the sofa.

"Hey...I need those," he murmured in a low grumble - not that he cared too much on what happened to them as he buried his face into Elsa's flowery scented neck.

"I'll just buy you new ones if they're broken," she answered him, moving her hands over to his tie. She tugged at it insistently and ordered in a firm, but soft tone, "off." Her blue eyes narrowed, demanding that he comply with her commands.

Jack gave her a wry chuckle. He found it interesting that she would be the one that led when they were intimate, even though normally she seemed like she had no affinity towards such acts.

"Yes, _Your Majesty_ ," he replied with a smirk as he untied his tie.

Elsa frowned at the way he responded. "Don't give me that sarcasm, _Frost_."

"What makes you think I was being sarcastic?" he asked, pulling on one end of the tie and letting it fall onto the sofa beside Elsa's shoulder. "You're a queen simply ordering around her knight, are you not?"

Elsa drew in a sharp breath through her nose when she saw him unbuttoning his dress shirt. He stopped at the third button, giving her a teasing view of his prominent collarbone and a portion of his chest. A heavy blush tinted her cheeks and it definitely did not help her cognitive function when he leaned over close to her, providing her a generous view of his smoothly muscled torso as the shirt hung low.

"I - I am," she managed to stutter out, trying desperately to collect her thoughts before her mental state was beyond repair. She tried to avert her eyes away from the view he provided down his shirt before he would start teasing her about being a closet pervert - even though she did feel like that description would fit her well right now.

"Then...I should respond accordingly - especially since this queen has been _so kind_ to her knight so far." Jack licked the shell of her ear, causing her to involuntarily shiver. He smirked at her reaction. "...I'd like to show my thanks," he whispered lowly, almost lustfully, earning another pleasurable shiver from the blond.

Jack's eyes fell sinfully lower, taking in every contour and detail of her slim body that the plain, tight long-sleeved teal shirt outlined perfectly. She was practically ripe for the picking - her cheeks flushed a bright red, her swollen pink lips parted slightly, and her chest heaving up and down according to each shy pant. She was tempting him greatly. He leaned down, taking the hair tie that held her braid together in his index and middle finger. He pulled it off in one fluid motion and proceeded to run his fingers through her hair, releasing the soft waved light blond locks.

Elsa drew in sharp, short breaths, clearly nervous, but slightly less fearful of him since their last intimate encounter. "Jack…" she whispered, giving him a tantalizing half-lidded gaze.

He smiled at her as he eased her down onto the sofa so that she was lying down instead of being uncomfortably pressed up against the armrest. She made a little startled noise when the tips of his fingers flitted around the hem of her shirt.

"J - Jack," she stammered out, "...we... _uh_ -" Her mind was reeling when his hand gently eased up her shirt, revealing more and more of her taunt stomach. "Wh - What if - _ah!_ \- Wendy...what if Wendy or another servant walks in here? Or Anna?"

The young man chuckled softly, gently caressing her face with the back of his hand. "Do you want to take this upstairs then?"

Elsa wrinkled her brow as he got off of her. She fixed her shirt and warily took his hand as she said to him, "but...I think the maids are cleaning the bedrooms today."

Jack smirked, pulling her up onto her feet. "Then I guess we'll have to use another room."

She pouted a little as he led her out of the lounge. Their pace was fast - or rather - Jack's was. When they walked up the stairs, she told him in a stern, flat tone, "hey - just because I told you yesterday after that movie that I'm okay with doing these sorts of things - "

"You're the one that said it, not me," he replied, laughing lightly.

Elsa's face grew hot from embarrassment. "Still!" she exclaimed indignantly, "...aren't you a _little too_ eager - ?!" She gasped when Jack suddenly pinned her up against the door leading into her study. There was a deafening silence between them, with Elsa staring up at Jack and him staring down at her.

Faintly from down the hall, Elsa could hear the low whirring noise of the vacuum that one of the maids were presumably running. Worried that they would see her and Jack like this in the open, she stammered out, "u - uh, Jack - ? The maid might see us..."

"...You're right."

"Huh?"

"I _am_ eager...but only because it's you."

Elsa's heart raced at the bluntness of Jack's statement. She wordlessly stared up at him, even when she felt him cup her cheek. He was staring at her lovingly, although pensively at the same time. There was an underlying sadness reflected in his dark blue eyes and Elsa wondered why he looked that way all of a sudden.

Before she could question it, he reached behind her and twisted the doorknob. The door swung open, catching her off-guard and causing Elsa to nearly lose her balance. She stumbled backwards, letting out a frightened yelp.

Jack caught her by the waist and pulled her back towards him in a smooth motion before she could even fall. He walked her into the study and closed the door behind him just as the maid down the hall came out from one of the bedrooms.

The study was dimly lit, with only a single stand lamp in one of the corners, immersing the room in a warm, yellow glow. With the door, closed and locked behind Jack, along with the curtains drawn over the large windows, it provided the utmost privacy for the two as they stood there.

"Jack…?" she asked softly, concerned with his sudden change in mood. Elsa blinked, keeping her curious eyes on him even when she felt his hand gently touch her face. He touched her as if she was made out of the thinnest glass - lightly and with soft, gentle caresses.

He wordlessly leaned down and kissed her, pulling away slowly, and kissing her again. They were were only innocent kisses, but they were enough to send Elsa's mind into a blank state. She parted her lips slightly, expecting another kiss from him when he pulled away for the third time, but instead he hovered his lips just barely over hers and let out a wry laugh that was soon followed by a relaxed sigh. He leaned his forehead against her shoulder, keeping still and silent for several minutes.

"Jack?" she questioned him on his odd behavior. She had thought that he dragged her into her study so that they could continue from where they left off earlier, but the way he was acting now was hardly the case. He was so bright and cheery earlier, but his mood seemed to take a somber downfall at the mention of her, which struck Elsa's suspicion.

"We've been together for nine years…"

Elsa nodded her head in response. "Yeah."

"That's a long time," he muttered.

"It is." She was not quite sure what he was trying to get at, but she went along with it, wondering if she could find out why he was suddenly acting differently.

"...I wonder why I never really thought about it - about how many years have passed. Maybe it's because I never really counted our relationship in years...hm." He let out a dry chuckle. "Even with it being nine years…" his gaze dropped and his voice barely above a whisper, "...why does my heart feel this restless when I'm around you?"

Elsa blushed softly when he pulled away and took hold of her small hand.

Jack brought it to his chest and placed her palm flat over his heart. He saw her staring at her hand, then back up at him with her curious widened blue eyes.

'It's beating fast...' she thought to herself, her cheeks turning hotter as she moved her fingers slightly, feeling the smooth skin of his chest. Underneath her palm, she could feel his heart hammering away against his chest. Each beat felt strong and defined, with its tempo picking up speed the longer she kept her hand there.

A faint red tinted Jack's cheeks and he said to her, "I know I said that I would be more selfish...but, you know, it's difficult to be selfish when you love someone so much. You want to give everything to that other person, even if it means throwing away pieces of yourself in the process."

"...What are you saying, Jack?"

"I've held myself back all these years because...I'm not allowed to love you. Nine years is a long time to get over a little crush, but instead I've been falling _more_ in love with you and…" Jack sighed in frustration. "I can't bring myself to let go of this feeling."

Elsa's breath stilled when she felt him gently brush away her hair from her neck and hook his index finger underneath the thin chain of the necklace she wore - the necklace he gave her yesterday. She silently studied his face, taking in the sullen expression he wore. Her lips pursed tightly.

"I love you, Elsa," he told her, only to be met with a retaliation, much to his surprise.

"How could you say that with such a sad look on your face?" she asked incredulously. Elsa pursed her lips tightly and bowed her head, hiding her face from him. The hand she had over his heart curled into a loose fist, which was slowly tightening out of frustration. "...I want to ignore the fact that you're clearly keeping something from me because I trust that you'll tell me sooner or later...but how could you say such things and not expect me to do anything about it?"

"Elsa - "

"You told me before that you didn't mind getting hurt by me, but you're hurting yourself more, aren't you? Why do you sacrifice yourself for my sake? What do you mean you're not allowed to love me?" Her voice increased in volume gradually. Elsa found herself getting angry with him now. He presented her with so many questions, but no definite answers. "Isn't loving someone something you do on your own terms?"

"Elsa," he sighed, running his fingers through his hair. "It's not that simple. You don't understand the circumstances that revolve around this."

"You keep saying that! Of course I don't understand, because you're not telling me anything!"

"I -" Jack let out a frustrated sigh, gritting his teeth. "I need to protect you, Elsa - "

"Jack!" She cut him off sharply, as if she was scolding a little kid. It rendered him speechless. It was the one of those rare moments where Jack heard her raise her voice to such a degree. It was a good indication that she was extremely annoyed with him.

She willed herself to relax, to bring herself down from the apex of frustration in order to carry out a proper conversation about this matter. "...Why don't you get it?" she questioned him lowly. "I never asked to be protected by you. My father was the one that hired you to protect me. Ever since we met, I thought of you as my best friend. Even after you told me that you were actually my bodyguard, my feelings never wavered, in fact...they grew, just like yours." Elsa dropped her head and raised a hand up to touch the necklace that Jack had given her. "I've thought about it and initially I did think that you were angry with me. You started acting distant a few days after we've agreed to be an actual couple, so I couldn't help, but also think that you weren't serious about the relationship in the first place."

Jack watched her as she walked over to the sofa with a heavy sigh.

"...But I know you're not that kind of person. You may act like an irresponsible goofball, but you're not the type of person to play around with another person's feelings...I realized this the last time we fought." Elsa eased herself down onto the sofa, keeping her hand wrapped tightly around the little blue crystal bird. She had a solemn look on her face, speaking up again. "If you don't want to get me involved in whatever it is that you're keeping from me and cause misunderstandings, then I just want to ask of you...don't say things like _'I love you'_ with such a sad look." She looked to him, her blunt nails digging into her palm as she held the necklace. "...Because love's supposed to be a positive emotion, right? It's not supposed to be tragic or depressing."

Her last words struck a chord within him. The last thing Jack wanted was an unhappy ending for the both of them. "...I understand," he muttered.

Elsa gently slid her hand across the sofa, towards him. "That's also why...don't self-sacrifice for my sake." She slowly raised her hand out towards him in a silent gesture for him to come over to her.

Jack found himself obediently listening to her silent request, lifting his foot one after the other, until he was by her side on the sofa. He felt her take his hand and smile up at him warmly.

"Because I love you too and it hurts me to see you smiling all the time even though you're sad."

She was right. Jack knew that he deflected things as a joke, laughed it off, or smiled in the face of adversity - all to hide the true emotions that he truly felt.

"If I smile...even if I'm angry or upset, won't I eventually be happy...?" he asked her. He found himself repeating what Jaime had told him all those years ago. Then and now - there was no difference. He was still unhappy and he wished that he could be freed from the strings that held him from being happy.

Elsa wrinkled her brow at him, confused with what he was saying. She studied the dismal look in his dull blue eyes. Finally, she said to him in a softly gentle voice, "...You don't become happy by smiling, Jack."

He shifted his gaze to her, a curious light in his eyes as to what she was saying to him. Jack saw her give him a half-smile before looking away to the side. "You smile because you're happy, but you don't smile in order to make yourself happy. The only way you could be happy is if you do what you want, not caring about what other people think, not living to their expectations, but only yours. ...Someone told me something like that a long time ago."

Jack gave her a wry chuckle, turning his eyes downwards in the process. "Really? Who?"

"...You did...that time when you took me to Burgess."

With a cross between a scoff and a sigh, Jack took a seat on the sofa beside Elsa. "You were beating yourself up for being a perfectionist. You seem stressed by it - "

" - Like you are right now."

He laughed at her dryly. "Listen, I'm not a perfectionist, Elsa - "

"But you still do things to please other people, don't you Jack? It's either one of two things - that or you do things because you want to, but if it was the latter you would be happy, wouldn't you?" She began to see that she was getting through to him by the change in his disposition. Seeing this, Elsa decided to ride this wave all the way to shore. She smiled gently as she laced up her fingers in her lap. "You seemed happy last night at my birthday party. You were joking around, laughing, behaving like the Jack I knew a long time ago. It was nice. ...You must have done something that you wanted to do on your own."

Jack blinked, widening his eyes for a brief moment before relaxing his entire body. He parted his lips to let out a breathy sigh in agreement. In a sideways glance, he let his eyes rest upon the bird necklace that he had given her as a present last night. After a moment's pause, "...I did," he answered verbally. A slight, comforted smile graced his face when he raised his eyes to meet hers.

The bottom of her eyelids creased as she gave him an ardent smile. Elsa reached out to him, resting a feather-light hand against the smooth plain of his cheek. She saw him close his eyes and bring his other hand up to rest upon hers. He kept her there for a while, enjoying her touch, before he turned his head slightly to give the base of her wrist a brush of his lips in a chaste kiss.

Elsa felt her heart speed up again when she saw him bring his other hand up to gently push down the sleeve of her shirt, exposing more of her arm. He dotted kisses, slowly and softly, then reopened his eyes. Her heart fluttered in an expectant nervousness when she saw a gradually growing look of need in his eyes.

"...It's okay, Jack," she told him in reassurance. "You're not bound by anything...or anyone, _even myself_." Her blush grew hotter as she shyly averted her eyes. "You can...do what you want."

Although Jack knew by her behavior and by the apparent blush on her face that she was implying something different, he took her words to heart.

In an act of dominance, he pushed her back onto the sofa. It was not so hard as to harm her, but it was forceful enough to elicit a surprised yelp from the young woman.

Elsa trembled underneath him, not out of fear, but out of anticipation for what would happen next. It was new experience for her, not to mention that this was a side of Jack that she rarely saw. She blushed harder when he took the little bird charm on her necklace in his hand. He smiled fondly at it as he ran his thumb over the smooth blue crystals.

"...Thank you, Elsa."

She stared up at him, perplexed. "Thank you...for what?"

Jack did not provide her a response. Instead, he simply brought the necklace to his lips and kissed it. "...Just because." He chuckled and Elsa responded with a light giggle of her own.

"Weirdo," she commented lightheartedly as she hooked her arm around his neck. With her lips turned up into a crooked smile, she brought herself up to give him a sweet kiss. As she pulled away, he gave her a slight pout at the name that she called him. _"...Just because_ ," she responded with a smirk.

Chuckling at her sly response, Jack brushed away some stray strands of blond hair away from her face and leaned down to give her another kiss. While he normally felt guilt or a reprimanding hesitation keeping him back from embracing Elsa, this time he felt no such thing.

It felt as if the strings around him were unraveling, disentangling themselves from his body and releasing his heart.

 _'Thank you for freeing me...'_

* * *

"Thanks for letting me stay the night. Tell Jack and Elsa I said thanks too!"

Anna was not sure what irritated her more, the fact that Kristoff was acting so languid about the entire thing or than he was so casually referring to her sister as if they had been close friends for several years. He was definitely different from Hans, who kept his manners around Elsa and Jack even though they had known each other longer.

She sat there beside him at the bus stop just down the street from her house since she did agree that she would walk him down to it and see him off. Anna ignored him droning on about Sven again. She had a lot on her mind to worry about some dog.

" - Sven would really like you, Anna. You should come over to my house and visit sometime." Kristoff looked over at the red head, only to see her eyes with a distant look in them. "...Anna?" he asked her, grabbing her attention.

"Huh?"

His brown eyes lowered in concern and averted from her. "...I'm sorry. I probably freaked you out this morning. I should have been more considerate - "

Although Anna was actually annoyed with the events that had transpired earlier in the day, she felt guilty for even blaming him. "N - No. It's fine! I - _uhm_ \- I just have a lot on my mind. I shouldn't have snapped at you before." She let out a sheepish giggle. "I don't really work well under pressure like Elsa does…"

Kristoff gripped the strap of his backpack and looked up at the soft gray skies contemplatively. "...Was...the guy with the coppery-ish colored hair your boyfriend?"

For some reason, Anna felt embarrassed to admit it to Kristoff in particular, but she nodded anyways.

"Hm." He seemed indifferent as he asked again, "are you happy with him?"

She snapped her head towards him, stating in a defensive manner, "of course I am!"

"Woah, just asking," Kristoff responded as he held up both hands towards her, hoping to show that he meant no harm with his previous question. It seemed to calm Anna down as she turned away from him, albeit with a disgruntled grimace. "...You seemed unhappy around him yesterday at the party - even more so when he left without really saying goodbye. That's why I'm asking."

Anna felt her throat tense up. "...You saw?"

"I wasn't sure if I should've gone to you afterwards. I try to stay out of other people's relationship drama."

The young girl frowned deeper as she pulled a leg up to rest her chin upon her knee. Somberly, she muttered, "I wouldn't really call it a drama. I don't really know what to call it exactly. Maybe it just died out...we had such a strong spark between us right when we met. He liked me and I liked him. Hans was really nice to me...and I liked that from the very start. Maybe...I overwhelmed him. I talked about all these things about the future - getting engaged, then married, then having kids - "

"Woah, woah, woah - how long have you two been dating and have known each other?" the blond man asked, unconvinced that what he was hearing was what he actually heard.

Anna blinked, then seemed to be counting off her fingers. "Around a month."

"A month," Kristoff repeated, deadpanned by her response. "You two only started dating for a month...and you already started talking about marriage with him."

She narrowed her eyes at him hostily. "Don't talk to me as if I'm crazy. I'm in love with him, it's natural to say things like that, isn't it?"

"Not if you want to chase the guy away."

" - He _agreed_ to it, Kristoff. He was just as enthusiastic about it as I was when I mentioned it."

"Really? Didn't look like it last night."

"Last night was - " Anna stopped herself, biting back her tongue. She turned away from him sharply, feeling frustrated. Kristoff just didn't get it. She and Hans were still in love with each other - at least that was what she would like to think. Anna found that could not say anything to him again, knowing that last night was not the first time Hans made her feel unwanted or neglected her. She felt as if she was just a second choice to him.

"Listen...I don't know if it's my place to say this, but you shouldn't trust people just because they're nice to you. People are only nice to you if they want something from you."

Anna dryly laughed. "Right and you're suddenly an expert on humans when all you do is spend time with your dog." She knew she probably sounded rude to him, but she thought it was ridiculous that he was the one giving her advice just because he did not agree with her relationship with Hans.

Kristoff seemed unaffected by her sharp words, however. He looked down the street instead, spotting the bus coming towards them from the distance. "...Just saying. There's a reason why I prefer to spend my time with animals. At least they're straightforward with their feelings, whereas people tend to want something in return for their kindness."

"Well _you're_ nice to me...what do _you_ want?" she questioned him.

The bus roared up the street, pulling up next to the bus stop where the two sat. Kristoff heaved himself up onto his feet and responded, his answer surprising her.

"I just want to talk to you. It's kinda nice finding someone that I could talk to - that isn't Sven." Kristoff stood in front of the awaiting opened bus doors, pausing before he went in. At the last minute, he turned around and offered the young girl his genuine words. "I hope things work out between you and your boyfriend."

Anna saw him give her a warm smile before boarding the bus. Not soon long after, the bus roared as it pulled away from the curb and powered down the street, leaving the luxurious hillside community. She glanced at it briefly, before returning her attention to the gray skies above her head. For the longest time, she stood there motionless, thinking about what Kristoff had said to her.

 _'What is it that you want from me, Hans?'_

* * *

Elsa did not know how much time had passed since she and Jack came into the study, nor did she know what time it was. However, time was of little importance to her when the only thing she could focus on was the sensation of kissing and touching the man above her.

Her entire head felt as if it was turning into a finely ground stardust and the pretty little pieces were being scattered around everywhere as her kiss with Jack deepened. Elsa wrinkled her brow and arched her back as Jack plunged his tongue in deeper. She let out a gruttle moan, raising a fist and flattening out her hand when it made contact with Jack's bare shoulder.

His blazer was long forgotten on the floor and Elsa was still working on taking off the dress shirt from his body, but it was a little harder than she had thought while they were locked in a passionate kiss. It was hanging sloppily off one shoulder, revealing half of his toned torso, much to Elsa's delight.

" _Fuck_ …" he murmured against her lips as he pulled away. He let out a breathless, frustrated sigh as he straddled her waist and attempted to strip off his shirt. "Who's bright idea was it to turn on the heater?"

"Blame Anna," Elsa answered in a low whisper, enjoying the view he was providing her. She was comfortably lying down on the sofa, taking her time to appreciate what life generously offered her. Jack had her straddled and standing on his knees above her as he peeled off his dress shirt, revealing his smoothly muscled body. He was not ripped and he definitely was not lanky like a stick when she had first met Jack when they were preteens.

This was probably the first time Elsa ever got a good look at his body ever since they grew older. It was probably a good thing that she was lying down because if she were standing up on her feet, witnessing Jack stripping himself, she probably would have grown light-headed and fallen over.

He seemed to have given up on pulling out his shirt that was tucked underneath his pants. With a low growl, he went back to fervently kissing Elsa. He ran his hand along the hem of her shirt and started peeling the skin-tight clothing off of her body.

"Wa- Wait...Jack - "

She was also sweating, not too much, but enough to make it hard for Jack to peel off her shirt.

"Wish we could make it snow or something in here," he said with a playful smirk, pulling her shirt up halfway and pausing.

"Having ice powers would be nice right now, wouldn't it?" she replied with a soft, nervous giggle.

"Yeah or air conditioning," he sighed in frustration again, getting off of her. "Maybe I'll go to the intercom and tell Wendy to turn the heater off - " He stopped when Elsa grabbed at his dress shirt.

" _Stay_ ," she ordered him, sitting up on the sofa. "...A little heat never bothered anyone."

He gave her a dry laugh. "You really don't mind, Ice Queen?" Jack obediently returned to her, propping an arm up against the backrest of the sofa as he stood over her. He brought his voice down to a low, baritone murmur as he leaned into her. "You might melt…"

Elsa scoffed lightly. "Says the _winter spirit_."

Jack felt his mouth drying up when he saw Elsa, in an act of bold defiance, take off her shirt. He hovered over her, mouth agape and blue eyes wide as she tossed the shirt aside, crossing her arms over her chest in a vain attempt to cover herself up shyly.

"Don't stare at me like that," she grumbled, a bright red blush on her face as she averted her eyes away from his. Elsa threw him a sideways glance. "I - I just thought it would be unfair to you since you're the only one undressed…"

"How considerate of you, Ice Queen," he teased with a slight drawl.

She pursed her lips tightly and snapped her head towards him. "Hey! I - mmph - !" Elsa let out a series of soft moans as Jack gave her a passionate kiss. Their tongues swirled around each other's, performing a little dance before he pulled away from her. Perhaps it was because of how many kisses they had shared, but they both thought that they had improved on their 'kissing technique' already.

Jack let out a soft, stifled laugh as he moved both his hands to her wrists. "Although...you're still covering yourself up." He attempted to gently pry her arms away from her chest, only to do so with no avail. Some verbal coaxing should work - he thought. "Elsa - "

"It's embarrassing! It's - ! Wait I changed my mind!" she exclaimed, frantically looking down at her discard shirt on the floor.

"You still have your bra on, it's fine."

"No it's not! - Jack - !"

He managed to pry her arms away at the very last minute when they both fell back down onto the sofa. Jack had her arms pinned on either side of her head, allowing him a full view of her.

She writhed underneath him, moving her legs slightly - crossing one over the other in a shy manner. His eyes went from the waistband of her baggy white capris to up her navel and taut stomach. Jack made sure to savor this moment, to enjoy the sights. It did not surprise him to see her wearing a teal-blue brassiere, it was her favorite color after all. It definitely something that she would be inclined to wear - not too basic, but not too 'wild.' Above all that, his heart thumped wildly at the sight of the necklace he gave her nestled cozily in the soft valley between her breasts.

Throughout his silent inspection, Elsa kept her eyes shut tightly with her face red as a tomato, too embarrassed to make direct eye contact with him.

"Well...I'd say we're even now," he said, chuckling, prompting her to reopen her eyes slowly.

Elsa saw him over her and her shy expression quickly turned into that of a fierce irritation. She fired back at him, "your shirt's not even completely off!"

"If I need to have my entire upper body bare, you need to too," Jack replied playfully.

The blush upon her face intensified as Elsa set her lips into a firm line. She narrowed her eyes at him dangerously, momentarily struggling against the hold he had on her, before resorting back to glaring at him. It was a power struggle and Elsa had no intentions of losing to him.

"Fine," he said with a dejected sigh, "you win."

"Really - ?"

" - I'll just do it myself."

"What!? Jack!" Elsa drew in a sharp breath when she felt him kiss and gently nibble at her neck. She writhed, feeling that it was unfair that he was attacking the most sensitive spot on her body. A series of whimpers and moans escaped her mouth, and at the same time, Elsa felt her own body relaxing. Euphoria flooded her mind as she felt Jack attach his mouth to one particular part of her neck, an area smack dab in the middle of her throat.

"J - Jack…!" she breathed, letting out an airy moan in the process as she tilted her head back to allow him better access. She arched her lithe body, pushing her breasts up against him. Elsa felt him release her wrists and rest his hands on the soft curve of her hips. A sharp whine came from her when he bit down, rather hard. When he pulled away, Elsa shivered as he gave the tender, red area a gentle lick and a kiss.

Before she could even scold him for being rough at the last minute, she froze when he went back down to her neck, nuzzling the junction between it and her shoulder, all the while using his hands to slide the straps of her bra down her arms.

"Wa - Wait, Jack!"

"Shhhh," he whispered against her skin. Jack stopped for a moment. "...are you scared?" he asked her.

"Huh? ...Well...no, but - "

He pushed himself up, raising his head so that he could look down at her face directly. "If you're scared...we can stop." Gingerly, he brushed away some loose strands of blond hair away from her face and traced her smooth jawline with the back of his hand. "I know you must still be traumatized after what Edwin did to you," he murmured softly. "It's only been a few weeks after all. If you don't feel comfortable, then I could wait - "

Jack wore a look of surprise when he felt Elsa lean up to wrap her arms around his neck. She hugged him tightly, while shaking her head against his shoulder. "No...I am comfortable. I'm just...nervous...and embarrassed," she admitted. "...What he did and what you're doing right now is under a different context. You understand...don't you? You don't make me feel scared. _Not at all_."

His eyes lowered, relaxing at her words. He wrapped an arm around her waist, supporting her as he gently brought her back down onto the sofa.

Elsa kept her arms wrapped around his neck and stared up at him with a shy, but ardent smile. Wordlessly, she brought him down towards her and buried her face in his neck. It was a small nibble at first, but Jack knew immediately that she was doing the same thing that he had done to her. He did not mind though - _the queen was simply marking what was hers_.

He kept himself propped up on his elbows, trying not to rest his full weight onto the young woman beneath him. However, that in itself proved to be a difficult task when Elsa proved that she could also render him weak by hitting his sensitive spots. His arms shook as he let out several low groans in response to her suckling and licking at the side of neck. "Elsa…" he breathed out.

She did not respond to him. Instead, she went up to bite at his earlobe, nearly sending him crashing down on top of her. Seeing as how he could not go on any longer in this position, he opted to switch their positions and Elsa agreed to it wordlessly.

With a simple turn of their bodies, he was now the one lying on the sofa while Elsa was on top, stuck to his neck like a leech. He felt her find one particular spot on his neck just beneath his ear - the one spot that she had teased him with before during their last physical encounter.

Jack, rendered powerless underneath her, stared up at the ceiling with a half-lidded gaze. He breathed through his mouth, unable to calm himself down as she suckled and bit at that same sensitive area, surely leaving an angry red mark. Vaguely, he could hear his cell's text message ringtone from the low coffee table beside the sofa, but he ignored it, thinking that he was just imagining things.

The whimsical melody played again.

"I think someone's calling you," Elsa murmured against his neck.

"...Leave it," he said in a half-groan. "It's just - _ngh_ \- the sound of a...text message."

"What if it's important?" she asked, pulling herself away from him.

"Then - _ah shit_ \- Elsa…" he hissed her name as he felt her thigh brush up against his crotch. Almost lifelessly, Jack laid there, panting heavily with his head turned away from her. He swallowed several lumps down his throat as he tried to calm himself down and as he tried so hard not to look at her as she straddled him. Even though she was still covered up to a degree, it was enough to drive him wild. Her waist was small, but in a wide curve, her hips were of that of a temptress. Her flat stomach begged to be littered with kisses and the bra that he just barely got off was hanging off of her arms and providing him with a teasing peek of the top of her modestly sized breasts. On top of all that was her damn near perfect heart-shaped face that was framed by her wind-blown blond hair that honestly looked as though it was messed up already due to heavy sex. Jack _definitely_ was not going to let a mere text message ruin this moment for him, not when she was practically tempting him.

Elsa, on the other hand, was reveling in her own right. There she was straddling a young man that probably had the most perfect body she had ever laid eyes on, along with a handsome face to boot, and was willing to do anything for her. She slowly ran her hands up, from the waistband of his dress pants. Her hands could feel the faint outline of abs on his stomach, his broad chest, and his prominent collarbone. She kept her hand on the tattoo he had received from the Guardians that was stamped on his right pectoral. At the faint memory of when she had first discovered that he had a tattoo, she could not help, but let out a soft giggle.

"...What's wrong?" he asked her.

The young blond sat on his stomach as a soft smile adorned her face. "Sorry, I just thought of that time when I saw you treating this tattoo in the bathroom. Remember? When we were kids."

Jack chuckled at the fond memory. "You thought I was going to become a delinquent before of it - or get mixed up in some bad stuff."

Elsa laughed girlishly. She traced the black snowflake pattern with the tip of her index finger lightly. "...It looks pretty now that I look at it."

"You think so?"

"I'm not too fond of guys with tattoos...but for you I'll make an exception."

Jack pouted adorably at her before relaxing his face. "Fine. Fair enough." He watched her as she spread her hand over the pattern, feeling his heartbeat as well. "...Do you know why the Guardians told me to get it?"

"No."

"Well, aside from other things, I think the most important feature is that it helps keep track of me."

"What do you mean?"

"Should you ever lose where I am...there are hundreds of microchips embedded within the ink. The Guardians will always know where I am and you will too. Should I ever get lost...I expect you to find me."

Elsa stared down at him, concerned. "Why are you telling me all this now?"

"Just...keep it in your thoughts," he said with a lighthearted chuckle. "It's useful isn't it? If your guard dog ever runs away from home, you can find him again."

She rolled her eyes, scoffing at him in the process. Her lips slowly turned into a smile as she leaned down towards him. "I highly doubt that this dog will run away from home," she whispered before kissing him fully.

As the two tangled themselves with each other, Jack's phone chimed again, indicating that another text message was sent. He and Elsa ignored it, continuing to kiss each other.

When the phone chimed once more, Elsa pushed herself off of Jack, who let out a low growl at the interruption. "You should probably answer that...it might be the Guardians," she told him.

Jack reached out for the phone, turning it on as he lightly commented, "maybe I'll just chuck the damn thing out the win - " His breath hitched in his throat when he saw his phone screen and the text messages that have been sent so far.

Elsa glanced at the screen, although she could not see much from where she was sitting. She then looked over at Jack, who's face seemed to lose all signs of blood as he stared at the screen with a frightened stare.

"...Jack?" she gently questioned, holding her arms over her chest in a worried manner.

He quickly shut off the phone, hiding the display from her. "Sorry Elsa," he hastily replied, "I need to actually head out somewhere."

"O - Oh," she stammered, getting off of him. Elsa was confused by his abrupt leave, but she allowed him to go with no opposition. "Is it the Guardians?" she asked as he quickly straightened out his clothes.

"Yeah," he muttered, lying to her. "I guess North wants to talk about some more information concerning who's targeting you. Or just mundane stuff that he normally bothers me with," he managed a slight chuckle. Sensing her concern, once Jack slipped on his blazer again, he gave her a quick kiss on the lips and flashed her a reassuring smile. "Don't worry. It's nothing major. I'll be right back in a few hours, okay?"

Elsa gave him a small smile back. "Okay. Hurry back and...be careful."

Jack picked up her discarded shirt and handed it to her, giving her one last kiss on the cheek. "I will."

She watched him until he left the study. Once the door closed with a soft click, she let out a soft breath and lowered her blue eyes to the floor. In a tight fist, she held the necklace charm. Despite Jack's reassurance, she knew that he was lying. He would never look that frightened unless it was a major threat.

* * *

A bitingly cold wind stung his face like daggers as Jack stepped out of his car. The smell of the ocean's salt water filled his senses as another blast of cold wind swept past him and the empty parking lot. He secured his crossback holster and threw on his blazer again, before looking out at the horizon line. The sun was quickly setting, immersing Arendelle in a pitch black darkness.

Jack closed the car door and took a look out at the empty boardwalk. He took out his phone from the pocket of his pants and turned it on. Aside from the text messages he received while at the Winters estate, he received no new ones.

His icy blue eyes rested upon the words displayed on his phone's touchpad screen.

 _Ring-a-round the rosie_

 _A pocket full of posies_

 _Ashes, ashes,_

The texts ended there. It was chilling, it was frightening, but also, Jack knew exactly what it meant.

With a determined look in his narrowed eyes, he marched over to the boardwalk and sought out the old payphone. The wooden boards of the boardwalk creaked underneath his feet with each step. From the far end of the boardwalk, he could hear the ocean waves crashing into the rocks that surrounded it. Not a single soul, other than himself, was out there that night.

He finally reached the old payphone and dialed in a phone number, without putting in any money into it. Not a moment after the first ring, someone on the other end of the line picked up.

"...It's cold," he said, just loud enough so that he could be heard above the howling wind.

 _"...Oh, Jack...how rare to have you calling me for a change. Did you give Elsa the necklace I gave you?"_

"I did."

A low chuckle and then an ominous pause. _"...No you didn't,"_ he said in a taunting manner.

Jack felt his heart beat faster as he tightly held the phone in his hand. "I did," he reaffirmed, only to be met with another teasing answer.

 _"Uh-uh, Jack. You know better than to lie to me."_ A dry laugh. _"Oh, Jack. Did you really think you could fool me? Did you forget that I can still hear everything from that room?"_

He clenched his jaw tightly. 'Elsa probably kept the listening device inside the drawer of her desk, unsure of what to do with it. Damn it...' The device's existence slipped his mind and he only had himself to blame for that mess-up.

 _"Tell me, did you have fun with Elsa? Sounded like you did earlier."_

"...You're sick," Jack whispered dangerously into the receiver.

 _"Am I?"_ He laughed again. _"No matter. I guess I'll just have to send 'her' to finish the job."_

The white haired man tried to keep his cool as he spoke, even when Elsa's life was being threatened. "...Is that who the texts were for? For Elsa?"

 _"Ah, so that's why you came to speak with me. Such a lovely song, isn't it? A cute little nursery rhyme with a dark history of death behind it. Yes...someone's going to die soon, Jack, but it's not going to be Elsa."_

A pause.

 _"...It's going to be you."_

Jack's eyes widened as he heard his phone going crazy, chiming every second. He looked down at his phone in his other hand and felt his heart racing as the lock screen was flooded with texts that were being sent in rapid succession of each other from the same unknown number that sent the previous texts.

 _We all fall down!_

 _WE ALL FALL DOWN!_

 _FOUND YOU_

 _FOUND YOU_

 _FOUND YOU_

 _FOUND YOU_

They kept coming, even as Jack heard the man give him his parting words.

 _"...I don't take kindly to traitors, Jack. You should have known better than to double-cross me. Die with the satisfaction that Elsa will join you soon after."_

As soon as the busy tone reached Jack's ear, he heard a footstep behind him. With a startled gasp, he dropped his phone and released his metal staff from his back. He spun it as he turned around, extending it to its full length.

"You…" he whispered with widened eyes as he stared at a familiar black cloaked figure - the female mercenary he had fought before.

She raised her hand up to her smiling mask and removed it. With the same sickly sweet smile, she revealed her face to him.

Jack took a step back, gripping his staff tightly. It was Sera.

A cold wind stirred and she giggled happily. "Found you, Jack."


	22. The Burning Puppet

**Marionette**

 **Chapter 22 - The Burning Puppet**

 _Warnings: Blood, Violence_

* * *

 _The world was unforgiving - Jack knew that better than anyone._

 _"Keep Elsa safe...please," Idun would often tell him with a gentle smile and a pat on his head or shoulder. She was a gentle, kind, beautiful woman - from what Jack could remember. She said the same thing to him the morning just before he had to leave for classes at Burgess on that fateful day. It was almost as if she knew that she was going to die later that evening in that fiery, explosive car accident._

 _It was certainly a tragedy._

 _He could still remember Elsa's livid expression at the revelation that she and Anna were going to be alone from that day on. She did not cry, even at the funeral a few days later. All she did was emptily stare at the closed coffins that belonged to her parents. The funeral director refused to have them open since the bodies were burnt beyond recognition._

 _It would have traumatized the young girls to see the charred skeletal remains of their parents._

 _It was not until after the funeral that Elsa cried, in the privacy of her room, in his arms. It was the first time he has seen her cry that hard and for that long. As he held her, the only thing he could tell her was, "...I'm sorry." It was true._

 _That was the day that he vowed that he would do anything to protect her from the cruel, unforgiving world - to keep her smiling. Even when he knew that she was the daughter and heiress of the family that killed his parents and forced him into the life as an orphan, he could not bring himself to hate her. She was a victim just like he was._

 _Fate was cruel...the world was cruel..._

 _He knew that revenge would not change anything that had already happened in the past, but he knew that revenge could shape what could happen in the future._

 _'I will make sure to keep you safe from this world, Elsa. Even if I have to lay my own life on the line...'_

* * *

 _"We are here live at the grand unveiling of the new racetrack in the city of Nightvale! The festivities are in full swing already with people awaiting the appearance of the mysterious, multibillionaire that made the construction of this massive racetrack possible - "_

Elsa pulled her knees up to her chest, hugging her legs tightly as she sat in the lounge, blankly watching the television just to pass the time. Her eyes rested on the paper thin flat screen that was mounted on the wall in front of her, then averted to an antique clock on another wall of the room. Her eyebrows were knitted in a deep worry when she saw the pendulum swinging back and forth with the needles of the clock showing that it was nearly midnight.

Worried would be an understatement.

Jack left the house at around five and has not been back since. He did not even give her a call or text since his departure. Surely the Guardians were not keeping him this late - they _never_ did.

Elsa looked down at her laptop, which was sitting beside her on the sofa and with a copy of her thesis open in a document file. She was in the middle of correcting the mistakes that Jack had caught when he was proofreading it earlier for her, when she realized just how much time had passed.

 _"...There he is! The man that made this all happen - Peter "Pitchiner" Black! He certainly knows how to create a welcome back for himself, doesn't he? It was just around 18 years ago that the entire Pitchiner family fell off the radar due to the harrowing death of his wife, Jane Pitchiner, and the disappearance of his daughter, Emily Pitchiner - "_

"You're up so late, Mistress."

Elsa lifted her head and turned back to see Wendy coming into the lounge with a tray of snacks. The elderly maid smiled lovingly at the young woman and set the tray down on the coffee table. "I made the cookies just the way you like them - double chocolate," she whispered the last part, "don't tell the tooth fairy you're eating this right before bed."

The blond giggled at the maid's little joke. "Thank you Wendy."

Wendy saw her expression fall as she turned her attention back to the TV. "...Are you worried about Jack?" she asked her, taking a seat on the sofa.

"I'd be lying if I said I wasn't," Elsa said with a dry laugh. "He left with such a distressed look on his face, although he did his best to cover it up just to reassure me." A sigh left her as her face relaxed into a forlorn "I can't help, but feel as if something's wrong."

"Jack can take care of himself. He is a very capable bodyguard after all," Wendy said, trying to comfort the young woman.

"I know...I know he can take care of himself, but - " Elsa hugged her legs tightly. Her voice was a soft whisper, " - my parents didn't come back after staying out late. What if it's the same thing now...?"

The elderly maid furrowed her brow. "Mistress...what are you saying? What happened to your parents is a tragedy, but you shouldn't say such things about Jack when you don't know what happened to him yet." She sighed softly, keeping a smile on her face to comfort Elsa. "If you're worried about him, I'm sure giving him a call wouldn't hurt."

She smiled back at Wendy. "You're right. I should stop worrying so much...I'm sure he's fine. Thank you Wendy...for the cookies too," she added in with a soft giggle.

"You're welcome, Mistress." Wendy graciously bowed her head. "Don't stay up too late worrying, or writing that thesis of yours."

"I won't. Promise." Elsa reached forward to take one of the warm cookies for good measure, just to show Wendy that she would be fine. Her smile soon faded when the elderly maid left the lounge, saying her goodnights. With downturned blue eyes, she bit at the sweet treat and held it there as her eyes slowly went back up to the flickering television, still broadcasting the opening of the Pitchiner racetrack's midnight party.

The broadcast did very little to interest her since the main thing on her mind was Jack's well-being. She reached out towards the low coffee table again to pick up her phone. The lock screen showed no new calls or messages. With a flick of her thumb and a few swipes, she went into her call history and her eyes fell upon the 10 outgoing calls she made to his phone - but no incoming calls. The last time she called him was over two hours ago, plenty of time for him to return a phone call.

Experimentally, Elsa went to her texting app and tapped in a message to send to him.

 _'are you okay?'_

As soon as she hit send, her heart dropped when her phone alerted her that the message failed to send. Her blue eyes caught the light from her dim phone screen as she stared at it for several minutes, trying to come up with a logical explanation as to why the message did not go through. He did mention before that he barely got cell signal when he was with the Guardians, implying to her that wherever he goes to meet them was isolated or underground, but again - she was sure that he would have responded back already. Their meetings never took more than a few hours.

Elsa took a bite out of the cookie, but could hardly focus on the sweetness of the fudge chocolate, not when she was drowning in worry. She let out a soft cough as she swallowed it with some degree of difficulty. It tasted sickly sweet to her, causing her to put it back down on the tray.

She normally _loved_ chocolate.

* * *

He could hear the distant sound of his mother's anguished cries from the other side of their large house. She was being comforted by their maids as well as a few of his brothers.

"They can't even find his body!...I can't even give my own son a proper burial!" he could hear her crying out.

Hans squeezed his eyes shut, clenching his fists as he stood in front of the door to Aaron's study. It was hard dealing with his loss, especially when the guilt of his death hung heavily over his head. _He_ was the one that brought Sera into his family, _he_ was the one that witnessed his own brother's murder, _he_ was the one that helped her dump his body into that steep valley and staged the entire scene to look as though Aaron was the victim of a horrible car accident.

It was all his fault.

His mother cried again, which at this time, Hans hastily opened the door to Aaron's study and shut himself inside. He could no longer hear his mother's voice, but now he was met with a deafening silence and the sound of his own conscious.

"...Father's out there helping with the search, isn't he? Trying to find my body. "

Hans heard his brother's voice off to the side, almost echoing in a crystal clear tone as if he was right there with him in that room. He answered, calmly, as if he was speaking to a live person. "Aaron, I - "

"He won't find much, will he? That valley is pretty much unchartered wilderness - my body's probably been torn apart by the wolves already. Surely you must have heard them last night when you dumped my body down the edge - they were hungry."

The auburn haired man shot a look towards the illusion of his late brother. Aaron flashed him a little smile, as if he was not bothered by what had happened at all. He paced the room - just like he always did - and came to a rest beside his desk. Hans sadly stared at the ground, lowering his shoulders. "I'm so sorry, Aaron. I - I never meant for any of this to happen. You were supposed to be safe. You weren't supposed to...- _damn it_ \- !" He brought his fist down on the door behind him with a dull thud.

He then fell to his knees, holding his head as he broke down. No tears were shed, but his eyes prickled as he shook violently. Very vaguely, he felt Aaron walk up towards him. A light presence touched him upon his head and Hans looked up, staring directly into the kind eyes of his older brother.

"...I know that you did what you needed to do. With the thirteen of us, you probably thought that you had no chance of inheriting anything of significant value once father passed away - certainly not his law firm. You did what you had to do to survive." Aaron flashed a look of sadness in his somber smile. "I just wish that you had told me this. I thought we were close…"

"I wanted to!" Hans objected strongly, desperate to regain Aaron's trust. " _God_ \- if I had known this was going to happen, I would have told you! I'm sorry, Aaron. I'm _so_ sorry!"

A faint chuckle came from him. "I know, Hans. How about the next time, we just come up with a solution together, hm? Just because we're both grown up, doesn't mean that you'll stop being my baby brother -"

With a soft exhale, Hans looked up, seeing nobody in front of him and finding the room completely empty - just as it was when he first entered. He raised his head as a piece of paper floated down from Aaron's desk. It fell gently onto the carpeted floors, resting there until the young man came over to pick it up. He wrinkled his brow, finding it strange that the piece of paper was disturbed from its position on the desk when there were no open windows or other physical force that could have caused it to fall.

Hans shook his head as he bent down to pick up the paper that had fallen. The _"conversation"_ he had with Aaron just now felt all too real. He assumed that his mind was unraveling from the guilt, causing him to project Aaron into some sort of physical being he could carry out a conversation with. He let out a soft scoff at the very thought as he looked down at the paper in his hand. It looked to be some sort of document pertaining to Winters Financials.

Slowly, a look of realization dawned on him as his eyes scanned through the paper again, this time reading over the words more carefully. He recognized Sera's name in fine print on the cream colored document. Hans blinked as he looked down at the other papers strewn over Aaron's desk. Upon closer inspection of the other papers, he discovered that his brother had been working extensively on uncovering a series of suspicious transactions from the Winters global account. While many of the transactions were into the billions, being traded through stocks almost daily, there were several smaller transactions and Hans assumed that this was what Aaron was so immersed in just days before he died.

He looked back down at the document containing Sera's name and he saw that she was getting paid by the Winters, for more than several months now - much longer than for how long he knew her for. His hand clenched, wrinkling the paper slightly as he felt a simmering rage boiling within him.

" _Liar_ ," he whispered under his breath, as he stared at Sera's name in hateful scorn.

* * *

Jack tightly ground his hands against the cool steel of his staff as he held it flush against his chest. He heard the distant ringing of his phone and he peered out from around the corner of a shabby beach hut that he was hiding behind. His eyes rested on the small mobile device, still lying exactly where he dropped it. Jack had no doubt that it was Elsa calling him. He had been out for quite a while now, on the run from Sera since he had no intentions of butting heads with her.

He was well aware of how their last encounter went.

" _Jaaaack -_ " she sang as she walked up to his phone.

He drew in a sharp breath when the ringtone stopped just as she crushed the phone underneath her shoes. She ground the square heel of her knee-high black boots into the device that now sparked weakly before dying out completely.

Sera carelessly kicked the device towards the side, where it fell into the dark ocean waters. Her sugary sweet smile remained on her small face as she looked around the dark boardwalk for any sign of him. "Why are you running away from me? Didn't you like playing with me last time?"

Jack swallowed a growing lump in his throat when he saw her draw a large hunting knife from underneath her black cloak. The metal glowed dimly, contrasted against the darkness of the night. He kept his eyes focused on the glistening weapon as Sera slowly walked out of sight, right behind the hut that Jack was hiding in front of. Seeing that this was his cue to move, he pushed himself off of the rotted wood walls and ran, trying to keep his footfalls light.

He peered back, gasping at the sight of Sera rushing out from around the corner of the hut, and immediately he ducked into the nearest opening he could find. Jack was not sure if she saw him, but he silently prayed that she did not. He hid in a narrow space in between two boardwalk game stands, but it was better than being out in the open. Confrontation with the deadly woman was just not an option.

Jack shivered as Sera hummed the tune of that cursed nursery rhyme. He kept his forehead against the cool steel of his staff and drew out a deep exhale, trying to calm himself down.

In order to avoid suspicion from anyone that it concerned, that nursery rhyme was a code between Jack and the person he worked for - a code meaning that he should kill. They never used it, but Jack never forgot about it - that is until now.

As the humming grew louder, Jack silently drew up a plan so that he could make it back to the parking lot and to his car. The glaring questions remained however - was Sera also in on this? That was the only way she could know that song and the true meaning it held. He fought with her before, was she sent to kill him then? Had his intentions to betray the person he worked for been revealed a long time ago?

Before Jack could quell the questions that were buzzing around in his head like a group of angry bees, his eyes shot open in terror at Sera's voice.

"Found you."

Jack snapped his head towards her, who was advancing towards him with a toothy grin. Her small stature allowed for her to move easily in between the boardwalk stands, whereas for Jack, it was a tight squeeze. Nevertheless, he quickly moved to the best of his abilities and sprinted out onto the more spacious area of the boardwalk.

He tightly gripped his staff and turned around, making a split second decision to stand and fight. If he were to go back to the Winters estate or to the Guardians, he had no doubt that Sera would somehow follow and carry out her task - which was to kill him. He had no intentions of endangering Elsa or any of the Guardians' lives, and if he were to die tonight, he would rather it done out of his loved ones' view.

As soon as Sera emerged from the tight space, she laughed happily as she lunged towards Jack. She made a stabbing motion at him, which he side-stepped to dodge. Turning on her heel at a swift speed, she swung her knife at his neck in an attempt to slash his throat. Despite his ungraceful stumble from just how quickly she stabbed and turned to slash at him, Jack managed to step back to barely avoid a fatal injury.

He regained his balance as he defensively held his staff out in front of him. Jack panted heavily, eyes wide with fear. He needed to get a grip on his nerves, fast. It was one thing for this woman to be so deadly, but what really got to him was just how unnerving her presence was. Her languid, cheerful aura was something that Jack did not understand.

"Hans told me that you were on our side. I was so happy when I heard that. Because you were so nice to me, I think at some point, I fell in love with you," she said to him, holding her knife with both hands and close to her face as if she was holding a valued stuffed animal.

Jack clenched his teeth and set his eyes into a sharp glare, crushing the growing fear inside of him.

Sera giggled at his fierce expression. "That expression! I love it! It's different from the ones that Hans showed me so far!" She blushed as she held her face with one hand. "Did you know your eyes are so pretty, Jack. Especially when they're narrowed like that, with such determination, it's just…" Sera let out a dreamy sigh.

Warily, Jack stared at her, finding her sudden change in behavior odd. He was not quite sure what to make of it.

"I know that he told me to kill you, but I'm not sure if I can anymore." She giggled like a lovestruck teenager.

Jack took a step back at this, finding it downright terrifying. "And why's that?" he dared to ask her.

Her expression suddenly changed into that of a devious smirk. Her gray eyes narrowed at him sadistically and her lips curled at the tips. Sera flicked out her tongue, running it over her plump red lips. "...I'd like to see how those eyes look when you're in pain. I can't do that if you're dead, can I?"

His breath faltered when he saw her move quickly, lunging forward at him again. However, instead of stabbing him with her knife again, she grinned, retracting her arm at the last second, and using her leg to deliver a sweeping kick underneath his feet.

Jack jumped back, dodging her kick with a back hand spring. _'A feint?'_ he thought to himself as he landed back on his feet. He created some distance between them with a few steps back. As he steadied his breathing rate, Jack set his lips into a firm line. _'That's right...she doesn't want to kill me anymore. So now she's using the knife as a distraction...I see.'_

With barely any time to react, he was suddenly met with a barrage of slashing motions. He spun out his staff and used it to block all of her attacks. The metal from both weapons occasionally produced an ear-splitting screech as they made contact with each other. He felt himself being forced back with each attack from her, being left to defend himself with no chance at landing an attack of his own.

Even with the billowy cloak, Sera moved around with an agile grace. Coupled with her short stature, she proved that taking down targets larger than herself was no problem. She smirked, slashing one last time at him before bringing her hand down onto the ground and swinging her entire body up and over. She landed a downward kick with the heel of her boot, which Jack blocked with his staff. However, Sera used this opportunity to hook her foot around the metal pole and swing her body up towards him.

In a vicegrip, she took hold of his staff and swung herself around to deliver a wide arcing kick to his head.

Sera pushed herself off of his staff and flipped back gracefully as he staggered backwards, in pain, against the wooden guardrail of the boardwalk, reeling from the attack on his head. She giggled lightly as she took out her hunting knife once more.

Jack held the side of his head, throbbing with pain from the impact. She definitely packed a punch despite her appearance. He could feel the sting of an angry red abrasion forming on the area of his cheek closest to his mouth, from the sole of her boots scraping against his skin. Before he could react, he heard a dull thump beside him and he glanced down at the source of the sound. He saw Sera's hunting knife embedded into the wooden guardrail, a portion of his blazer and dress shirt pinned to it. A rush of cold air caused his arm to sting around the area where the knife had grazed him and the warm sensation of blood running down his skin prompted him to bring a hand up to his injury.

She giggled happily, her eyes locked onto the crimson red blood flowing from the cut on Jack's arm. The young woman seemed fixated on it with a sick, twisted grin. "How is it? Does it hurt?" she asked him grotesque curiosity.

He clenched his teeth. She was playing around with him again, having fun with him - not even breaking a sweat fighting him while he was struggling to keep up with her. Jack shot another glance at Sera's hunting knife. It was a huge knife, making him wonder just how she managed to throw it with such power and accuracy, especially in the dark of night when the boardwalk was not even illuminated that much.

"It must have, right? Especially if you're bleeding that much!" she laughed again, pleased with the outcome. Sera clapped her hands together joyfully. "There it is!" she remarked as Jack shot her a dangerous glare. "That expression of yours I love so much! Is that the expression you make when you're in pain, Jack? ... _Or will I have to do more_?"

He moved quick when he saw her rushing towards him again. Jack saw her pluck the knife from the guardrail and he did his best to block and dodge her well-executed attacks. Even with his injury, he was doing well with fending off Sera, especially with the speed at which she was slashing at him.

"More... _more_!" she chanted, crazily laughing as she managed to cut his cheek, drawing more blood.

Jack ignored the stinging pain and proceeded to expertly spin his staff around all on one hand. He kept her at bay, finally being able to move forward instead of being backed up because of her attacks.

When Sera made a stabbing motion as she dodged a swing of his staff, Jack saw this as an opening to go on the offensive. He brought his elbow down upon the hand that held the hunting knife, stunning her and prompting her to drop the weapon. Forcibly, he grabbed her by the arm and yanked her towards him. As the short woman stumbled forward, Jack wasted no time and delivered a side kick to her stomach. She gasped, feeling the wind being knocked right out of her lungs. He then pushed her back with another kick, causing to hit the guardrail - _hard_.

A bit of blood spewed out from her mouth from the impact, but strangely, she did not seem affected by it at all. She simply cackled as if she was tickled. Instead of standing there in shock, Jack took the next step and reached into his blazer, releasing one of the small canisters that contained the concentrated liquid nitrogen. He released the cap and sprayed the substance on the wooden boards in front of him as he jumped back.

The chemical formed a visible white cloud of carbon dioxide upon release.

"You think you can run away from me again?" she asked, unfazed by the smokescreen cover that Jack had created.

He smirked, tossing aside the empty canister. "I'm not running from you."

She let out a surprised gasp when she took a step forward and the board underneath her foot gave way, brittle from the extreme cold. Sera tried in vain to release herself from the splintered hole that her foot was caught in. A childish whine escaped her as she cursed out loud, "what happened - !?"

Sera stopped struggling to free her foot when she felt the sharp edge of a knife because pressed onto her neck. She blinked, her gray eyes wide as she looked up at Jack, who held the knife with a steady hand despite that very hand being slick with his own blood.

Before he could say anything to her, she smirked cockily and told him in a unnervingly calm voice, "do it. Kill me."

He could not tell if she was egging him on or taunting him. It was hard to read the true emotions of someone that displayed a wide variety of them outwardly. Jack kept the knife to her throat, silently, but flinched when she raised her own hands up to his wrist. His eyes widened in pure shock as she slowly moved his arm, letting the knife cut her skin. He saw the blood slowly pouring from her wound as she continued to smile up at him, sweetly.

"What's wrong, Jack?" she asked, "didn't you want to kill me?" She applied more pressure to his arm, making the cut deeper into her neck, drawing more blood. Jack simply stared at her, horrified that this girl showed absolutely no sign of pain as she gave herself a self-inflicted injury. "Dig the knife deeper into my neck. Go on - _do it_."

Jack, unsettled by the sight of her blood, made a move to pull his arm away, but she held him there in a vicegrip.

" _Nuh-uh_!" she snapped at him, keeping him there, "you were the one that initiated this…" Her gray eyes narrowed with a mischievous light and a crooked smile crossed her doll-like face. "You should take responsibility for your actions."

His heart raced, horrified with what he was seeing. He witnessed his share of blood and death working as a bodyguard. However, he had never been this close killing someone, close enough to actually touch the blood that they shed. " _S_ …"

"Hm?" Sera grinned as she pressed the knife harder into her bleeding neck.

"Stop," he breathed out, trying to yank his hand back. His eyes were widened in terror and his breathing was growing erratic, his body softly trembling.

She snickered. "Wasn't that what you wanted, Jack? That's why you held the knife to my throat, isn't it?" Sera stopped, releasing his arm from her vicegrip gently. She smirked at his petrified daze. "...Or do you not want to kill me?"

With very little effort, Sera pulled his arm away and took the knife from his hand, dropping it to the ground. It clattered against the wooden boards, but Jack remained unmoving, frozen to the spot. She used this opportunity to hoist herself out of the hole her foot got caught in. Still, Jack did not react.

"What's wrong?" she asked innocently, taking his hand.

Jack drew in a shivering breath when he felt her place his hand over her bleeding neck. He felt the slimy, warm blood coat the palm of his hand generously.

"Do you care about me, Jack? Is that why you didn't want to kill me…?" Sera placed a soft kiss on his hand, mixed with his and her blood. Much to his horror, he felt her drag her small tongue over it, licking it off. She peered up at him through her dark eyelashes, then paused, staring at his hand for a moment. "I can't return those feelings though. My heart belongs to Hans...although…"

Jack snapped out his daze when he felt her lean up to kiss him. Her lips lingered upon his before pulling away. She flashed him a docile smile.

"...I am flattered that a man like you cares about me. I told you...you have a different look than Hans. I can't get over it. Maybe I will love you back if you give me more love...Could you, Jack?"

With a innervated gasp, he brought himself back to his senses and took a wild step back. He held his staff defensively in front of him again, gripping it tight with both hands. His gaze hardened at her as she stared at him, looking lost and confused.

"Why Jack…?" she asked sadly. "Why are you running away from me again? Do you not like me?"

Jack's eyes flickered to the wound on her neck, still steadily bleeding. It did not look like she cut deep enough to cut an artery or major vein, but she was losing a lot of blood. He wondered if he should try to drag out this fight until she lost consciousness from blood loss.

Sera averted her eyes to the ground, sadly. "Everybody stops liking me in the end... _everybody_ throws me away sooner or later." Her voice dropped dangerously as she flashed a bloodthirsty look in her eyes as stared at him. "...Like _you_. You're no different from everyone else that has used me and thrown me away!" she screamed, lunging at him violently.

Jack was surprised at how fast she was despite all of her injuries - and at her sudden change in mood. Just who or what was this girl? He thought she was even more dangerous when her emotions were so volatile, compared to when she was "calm." Her movements were more erratic and he could not predict what she would do next. It scared him, honestly.

Sera let out an animalistic snarl as she angrily kicked at him, which Jack successfully continued to block, despite his injured arm. However, that was short lived. He grunted and staggered back when she landed a kick in the center of his chest. As he coughed heavily, he briefly felt her come up close to him and grab his bleeding arm, before throwing him over her shoulder with ease.

He fell, luckily into a pile of snow that had accumulated from last night's snowstorm. Despite getting the wind knocked out of him from the impact, he managed to roll over backwards just in time to dodge a fatal axe kick that was aimed towards his head.

The heel of her boot splintered the wood slightly, despite the soft layer of snow covering it. Jack kept himself knelt down on one knee, trying desperately to catch his breath as he stared at her with a narrowed glare. He kept a wary eye on her as he wiped the side of his face, cleaning the blood that had flowed out from the cut on his cheek. It smeared across his jaw and stained the sleeve of his dress shirt and blazer.

He wondered if a conversation with her could get her to calm down. She seemed to behave like a child and he tried to play upon that to his advantage and defeat her.

"I thought you said that your heart belonged to Hans," he explained slowly, retracting his staff and setting aside, showing her that he was submitting to her. He watched her eyes follow his movements, warily. His entire body ached. "How can you expect me to love you if your heart belongs to someone else?" he reasoned in calm tone, brushing his hand against his ankle and quietly standing up onto his feet with some difficulty.

"I want you too!" she countered aggressively. "You can _both_ adore and love me, right!? You, and Hans! And - and the man that told me to kill you! You can all love me!"

Jack sensed an opening, a way for him to get through to her and to make sure that she would not harm him or Elsa. "Then...if I love you...and _only_ you...will you forget about Hans and that other man?" He walked towards her, hiding his injured arm behind his back discreetly. His hand tightened around the sturdy handle of his concealed dagger that he had pulled out from his ankle strap earlier.

"Eh?" She seemed genuinely curious and interested.

He coaxed her, nodding. "If you want me to, I will." He held out his hand towards her. "I will abandon everyone else and love only you." He had a feeling that this method was working. There was no way that he could defeat her physically, but appealing to her fragile mental state was something he could do.

Sera blinked naively, her mouth parted slightly in wonder at his generous offer. "...Really?" she squeaked out, like a little child that was promised a tasty, sweet cookie right before dinner. "Only me?"

"All the love you want," he reaffirmed to her, taking a step towards her. He gave her a little smile. "I can give it to you." Jack moved in, seeing her guard drop gradually. "More than Hans, and even more than that other man gave you."

"Really?"

"Really."

"Really, really?"

He smiled warmly at her. "Really." She was just within arm's reach -

Sera giggled happily, blushing as she stared up at him with round gray eyes. "I'm so happy...so happy." She sounded as if she was at the point of tears. Bashfully, she held tight fists to her rosy cheeks as she squirmed and wiggled out of pure excitement.

The moment was now. Jack was only a few inches away from her and he had to take the chance. He tightly held the small dagger and brought his arm out from behind him, only to stop when he felt a foreign, heavy pressure on the side of his abdomen before he could stab her. He faltered, drawing in a sharp breath with his pale lips parted slightly in shock as he slowly rolled his eyes down to look at her.

"But…" she murmured darkly, keeping her face hidden from him for a while before lifting her head and revealing her relaxed smile. "I can't betray the man that I can call _'father.'_ "

Jack let out a choked gasp, followed by a gruttle grunt at the sharp pain shooting through his body, originating from his stomach. He took a step back as Sera released her dainty hands from the bloody handle of an unfamiliar dagger that she must have concealed on her. He coughed out blood, holding the area where he was struck. A bright red color spread out across the white of his dress shirt as he stumbled back away from her.

He silently cursed at himself, angry that he let himself be so vulnerable and believing that she would fall for such an elementary attack. Jack fell back, rolling over onto his side as he clutched at the stab wound in pain. He did not dare to pull the dagger out, for fear of bleeding out faster than he was right then. His entire body shook from the pain he was experiencing as Sera stood over him. At this point, he was not sure if the small dagger had punctured any major organs.

"He saved me from my kidnappers. He gave me a purpose and accepts me for who I am. People think I'm a monster, but that's not true - not according to him. He loves me as a father I never had and Hans loves me as a lover. You, Jack…?" She impassively stared down at him as she slammed her foot down on the handle of the dagger, digging it deeper into the side of his stomach.

Jack cried out in pain, clenching his teeth soon after to endure it once she took her foot off.

Sera grinned sadistically as she knelt down to get a better look at his face. "I think I'll keep you as my toy. Father did tell me that you are nothing, but a puppet and Hans _did_ say that I'm allowed to play with you as much as I want." She laughed softly as she reached out to pet the top of his head. She ran her fingers through his messy silvery-white hair, lovingly stroking it as he lay there in pain. "Don't worry...I loved all of my toys, so I'll make sure to love you just as much."

Jack panted heavily through clenched teeth. A sticky sweat formed all around his body despite the cold air surrounding him, with puffs of his breath visible with each repressed exhale that he forced out. It was getting difficult to stay conscious and sane with the blood loss and the pain. He tried to get up, not ready to give up without a fight. His vision blurred, due to the amount of blood he lost so far. Despite this, he tried to push himself up. When he managed to prop himself up on all fours, he choked out a blood spewing cough, staining the white snow beneath him in a dark, rosey red.

He remained in that position for quite some time, with Sera curiously staring at him with a childish wonder dancing in her gray eyes. "Does it hurt that much?" she asked him, cupping both sides of her face with her small hands.

Her voice sounded so distant and muffled as he stared down at the blood stained snow until his vision floated in and out of blurriness. His eyelids drooped slowly, weakly fluttering open and closed until finally he fell back onto his side, succumbing to the blood loss.

"I'll be sure to take good care of you Jack," she giggled, crawling up to him to pet his head again. " _Forever and ever_ …"

Jack closed his eyes and drew out a single breath as he let himself fall into the dark depths of unconsciousness.

* * *

Something was wrong - Elsa just knew it.

She was up in her room, sitting atop her queen sized bed. She had already washed up and changed into her comfortable light blue nightshirt and loose pants, ready to turn in for the night. Of course, this was easier said than done, especially when she was still waiting on Jack.

Worriedly, her eyes went to the bottom corner of her laptop screen to see the time as 1 AM. She turned back towards her nightstand to look at her alarm clock, hoping that her computer was just broken and giving her a false time, but her face fell when she saw the same time on her other clock.

A forlorn sigh escaped her as she checked her phone again. There were no new messages or calls, yet again. Biting her lower lip, she clutched her phone tightly to her chest as she contemplated on what she should do. She knew that Jack could take care of himself, but she knew that this was just much too late for him. He should have been back hours ago.

A soft knock at her bedroom door prompted Elsa to snap out of her anxious daze.

"Elsa…?" A sleepy voice, which she recognized it to be Anna's, called out for her.

"Anna?" he answered and immediately afterwards, the door opened up slowly, revealing the strawberry blond girl.

She rubbed her eyes tiredly, seemingly having just woken up.

"Sorry, did I wake you?" Elsa asked, although she knew that she was not making any noise that could be heard through the thick walls of her room. She silently invited her sister to sit on her bed by moving her laptop off to the side.

Anna shook her head as she slowly walked over to Elsa's bed. "I just felt thirsty so I went out to ask Wendy for a glass of water."

The blond giggled softly as she watched her sister take a seat on the edge of the bed. "You _do_ know we have intercoms, Anna."

"I always forget," she mumbled sleepily.

Elsa laughed at her response as she reached out to rub the top of Anna's disheveled head. "You should go back to sleep," she said softly. "You sound tired."

"What about you? Don't you have classes tomorrow?"

"I do, but - uhm - the...thesis I'm working on. You know? I'm scheduled to present the final draft to a couple of professors and some advisors this Wednesday. I just need to correct some minor stuff." Elsa figured that telling Anna that she was actually staying up worried over Jack would result in a messy conversation.

The redhead made a face. "Ew, presentations? Good luck," she said, patting her sister on the shoulder. Her blue eyes blinked for a while, then widened the longer she stared at Elsa. "Wait, Elsa...what's that on your neck?" she asked, leaning forward to get a closer look at the strange red mark in the middle of her sister's throat.

She quirked an eyebrow up, curious as to what Anna was referring to. "Huh?"

"That." Anna pointed her finger at it. Without much warning, she touched the area, causing Elsa to flinch and smack her hand away.

"O - Oh! It's...just a pimple. Don't worry about it." She nervously giggled, realizing what that mark was and then lying about it. There was no way in hell that she was going to let Anna know that it was a hickey. She would start screaming and the questions regarding her personal life would be endless.

"Really? I couldn't feel a bump or anything and it's really red...like a bruise - "

"It's _fine_ , Anna!" Elsa stressed, trying to laugh it off. She turned her body slightly, trying to further hide the mark from her little sister. "Might be allergies too...or I scrubbed that area too hard when I took a shower earlier." When she still saw the slightest light of skepticism in Anna's azure eyes, she nodded her head several times while smiling for good measure.

"Mmm, are you sure? It looks a lot like a kiss mark or something." Anna curious face turned into a sly sneer as she took notice of how Elsa was unresponsive and avoiding eye contact, all the while with a cherry red blush on her pale face. "It is!" she exclaimed loudly, immediately prompting a hushed 'shhhh' from the blond.

"Keep it down!" she begged her desperately. "What if the servants hear you?"

"They won't, they won't," she reassured her with a hurried wave of her hand. Anna leaned in close, perhaps too much for Elsa's comfort, and excitedly began spewing questions at lightning speed. "So? Spill the _'deets'_! It was Jack right? Of course it was him, who else? Was it nice? Was he gentle? I bet he was! He might act like a goofball, but he's a gentleman at heart alright." She cupped her chin and nodded her head several times sharply, as if she was agreeing to her own statement.

Elsa squirmed uncomfortably, pressing her lips together tightly as her blush intensified. "...W - Why do I have to be that specific? We didn't even go all the way - "

A loud gasp from Anna disturbed her. " _Seriously_!? Why? You two were alone for the entire afternoon and you like each other enough to take the next step - !"

"Just - things came up." A light, frustrated sigh left her throat. "Jack...he had to leave. It seemed urgent so I let him. He promised he'd be back a few hours ago, but…" Unknowingly, Elsa ended up telling the truth to Anna after all.

The young girl studied her older sister's face silently for a while before asking, "...He's not back, is he?" She sensed the uneasiness surrounding Elsa. In an act of comfort, Anna moved closer to the blond and placed a gentle hand upon her knee. "Just wait...give it some time. Whatever happened, I'm sure Jack can handle it. He got us out of that mess with those men that invaded our house a few weeks ago. If he could handle that, I'm sure he could handle whatever it is that's happening now - if anything's happening at all."

Elsa brought her lower lip into her mouth briefly, moistening it with her tongue before nodding slightly at what Anna said. "You're right."

"Good. Now get some shut eye," Anna hopped off of Elsa's bed and stretched out her legs a little. With a sharp point of her finger, she said in a stern tone, "and I expect details of what happened between you and Jack! Tomorrow when Simon's dropping us off, got it?"

Playing it off as if she was no longer worried, Elsa rolled her eyes and scoffed. "Nosy," she commented, eliciting a sloppy raspberry from the playful redhead. She laughed lightly in response and waved off the young girl. "Goodnight, Anna."

"'Night! And remember - !" she stopped just short of the door, jabbing another finger into her direction, "details."

"Goodnight, Anna," Elsa repeated, shaking her head as her little sister finally left her room.

Her mind lingered upon what Anna said to her about Jack. She was fully aware that he could handle himself, but she wrinkled her brow slightly at a thought that tugged at her nerves. While Jack did handle those mercenaries, he would have died had it not been for her stepping in to help. Elsa knew that if she had not gotten to the female mercenary in time, Jack could have had a knife stuck in his heart and that would be the end of it.

 _Intervene_ \- she had to intervene. She had to take action and follow her gut feeling.

Elsa picked up her phone and quickly made a call to the woman that called herself Toothiana. When she had escorted the her away from the gardens at the gala a few weeks ago, she insisted that Elsa have her phone number.

' _You can call it at anytime. I do the same type of work as Jack does, so if you ever feel like you're in a pinch, just call me,'_ Elsa remembered she said.

With a few flicks of her thumb, she found Toothiana's name in her address book and with a few taps, she was connected into a call. Her heart hammered away as the phone rang on the other end of the line. She silently hoped that she would pick up.

 _"Hello? Miss Winters?"_ she finally answered.

"Ah - uhm - yes. H - Hello," she stammered, unsure of how to proceed with this conversation. Should she just come out with it and say that she thinks Jack's in danger?

 _"Is everything alright? This call is so sudden - "_

"I'm sorry to bother you!" Elsa apologized profusely. "I just...wanted to ask if Jack was still with you and the other Guardians." Her heart started pounding inside of her chest - a deafening thud resounding within her when she heard Toothiana's answer.

 _"Jack? He hasn't stopped by the entire day."_

Her mind drew a blank. "...But..." she breathed out, "he went out just a few hours ago to meet with North. He said so!"

 _"North has been with us the entire day as well, Miss Winters. He never requested to see Jack and Jack never came by."_ Toothiana paused briefly. _"...Miss Winters? Is Jack alright?..."_

 _'So he was lying.'_ That was the only explanation Elsa had for this sudden revelation. She shook slightly, trying to regain her composure amidst the panic that was swelling up within her. With a hushed and frantic breath, she said to her, "p - please...Toothiana... _I think_ \- I think Jack's in danger. Please help me find him."

* * *

He could only remember vague snippets, parts and pieces of what happened after he fell unconscious. He was not even sure if it was real or if it was a dream. Whatever it was, Jack could remember the coldness of a metal floor, touching his cheek like a block of ice - the distant rumbling and shaking of a large van in motion - the tightness of a rugged cloth binding his arms together behind his back...

For some reason, he could not feel any pain from where he was stabbed, even when he was forcibly dragged out from the van once it stopped. He could hear the gruff voices of some men, along with the sweetly sickening voice belonging to Sera. It sounded as though she was ordering them around, telling them where to go and how to handle him. Jack did not know - he could barely make out any coherent words with his head still in a dizzying daze.

Jack let his eyes open slightly, finding the strength to do so, but was surprised when all he saw was darkness. He felt the cold metal of a thick chain being wrapped around both forearms, then finally a cuff being slapped on either wrist. Slowly regaining his consciousness, Jack attempting to pull his arms apart, but found out that he was unable to do so. His wrists were tightly bound together by the cuffs and chains, held above his head uncomfortably. Jack tried to pull himself up so he could stand, but fell to his knees once more when his legs gave out from underneath him. He still had not recovered from the blood that he lost.

Sera giggled at the sight. "Oh, good. You're awake. I was so worried!"

He flinched, drawing in a sharp breath when he felt a pair of hands reach around his head. Jack squinted at the sudden presentation of light to his eyes, even though the dark room had only a few dim lightbulbs hanging from the ceiling. All around were thick, concrete walls with several wooden crates and shipping boxes that looked as though they had been down there for several years. It smelled musty, filling his lungs up with dust. Through his initial assessment, Jack concluded that he was in a basement of some building.

Jack looked up and saw the chains he was bound in, hanging from a thick, steel stake that was hammered into the concrete walls, providing very little hope that he was going to get out of them through sheer strength alone. He shot a poisonous glare at Sera, who had two men standing behind her.

"Don't mind them," she said, smiling as she noticed Jack warily eyeing the men. "They're just from the same mercenary group that I work with - you know - the ones that invaded the Winters' estate a few weeks ago. They helped me patch you up!"

He narrowed his blue eyes at her as she clapped, turning to either side as if she was congratulating them.

"Good job, good job!" she cheered happily, although she did not receive any sort of response from them as they stood behind her.

Jack lowered his eyes to the injury on the side of his stomach and saw that indeed, a set of fresh white bandages now encircled his waist. He raised his head to look at the young woman once more. "Why did you save me? I thought he wanted me dead."

"I know, but that's no fun to just kill you off." Sera hopped over to him, her long black hair flowing behind her. She landed in front of him gracefully, leaning over slightly so that she could look down at him with a chillingly sweet smile. "Besides, you lied to me, Jack!" The young woman chortled as she cupped Jack's chin, bringing his head up so that she could get a better look at him. "You told me you loved me, but you were trying to kill me! How could you?"

"You did the same thing to me."

"Huh?" She drew back slightly, her gray eyes widened in confusion.

"You said things and acted in a way that showed you loved me too and yet you've been trying to kill me - "

Sera slapped him hard across the face, staring down at him with an impassive glare. She met his eyes, which were narrowed in its own intense glare at her as he recovered from the bruising slap. "Idiot," she said in a hushed whisper, "you think I'm trying to kill you? I was only going to kill you because he told me to. You betrayed him and now...you betrayed my trust as well, Jack. While he may want traitors dead, I think traitors can be taught not to betray. Like you - " Her smile came back onto her small face. "I don't want you dead," she repeated, so that her message got to him clearly.

Jack saw her get up and walk away. He was not quite sure what she was up to, but when he saw her throw him a crooked smile, he felt a shiver run down his spine.

"It's fine to keep you here forever, isn't it? As my own, personal doll."

He watched her and the two men walk towards the far stairs, presumably going up to the main part of whatever building this was. As soon as she was gone, Jack clenched his teeth and tried his best to tug and pull at the chains. He had hopes on loosening the metal stake that held the chains to the wall, but after a few minutes of pulling and jerking, Jack fell back against the concrete wall with a heavy sigh. His chest heaved up and down as he slid down to the ground. He sat there, trying to get rid of the spinning inside his head from the blood loss. He could not exert too much strength and keep up his stamina for too long without wanting to pass out.

Jack glanced down at his chest, staring at the Guardian tattoo. He flattened his lips into a straight line and let out a sigh as he leaned his head back against the wall. All hope was not lost yet - he could still be found…

* * *

"I apologize for bothering you on such short notice...and with how late it is."

Toothiana looked up at the young heiress, pausing with her work, and blinked. "Please, Miss Winters. You have no reason to apologize. We all want to help out with finding Jack. We're really grateful that you called us when you did."

Elsa watched the small woman continue to hook up several wires to various pieces of hardware as she helped Sandy set up their small workspace inside the parlor room. "I just...wished that I had called sooner. I was under the impression that Jack could handle himself, so I put it off, but - what if it's too late now?" she asked worriedly.

"Please don't say that," the green haired woman replied, standing up to meet her. She grabbed both of Elsa's arms in a comforting manner and smiled reassuringly. "Jack can take care of himself. He isn't just your ordinary, run-of-the-mill bodyguard. Even if he is in danger right now, he can hold his own."

"But...what if he's already - ?"

"Dead?"

The two women snapped their heads over to Bunnymund's direction, as he walked into the room languidly.

" _Bunny_ ," Tooth hissed under her breath, giving him a warning glare.

He shook his head, ignoring his colleague, and spoke to Elsa. "I highly doubt that, Winters. That little show pony looks fragile, but he's pretty tenacious and strong. It'll take a lot to actually kill him." Bunnymund took a seat on one of the plush chairs away from Sandy's set-up and sighed, tossing Toothiana a black device.

She caught it easily with her fast reflexes and carefully studied it before asking, "where did you find this?"

"As a precaution, I sweeped this entire estate just now with our scanner. Now - " the lanky man eyed Elsa, "I highly doubt that the young miss here is bugging herself, but I found that in a drawer in her study." He pointed at the device that Toothiana now held. "Start talking and don't worry, I'm not stupid enough to bring that here without disabling it - shouldn't work at all now."

Elsa felt all eyes were on her as she stood there, lacing her hands together in front of her. She bowed her head, as if she was ashamed that she kept the device for so long. "I should have thrown it out the minute I discovered it underneath my desk. I kept hearing a slight humming noise and I assumed it was the house's ventilation for a few hours, but I noticed that I didn't hear it anywhere else in the house except for in the study. I accidentally bumped it with my knee several nights ago when I was studying. I wanted to inspect it further because I had no idea what it was, but Jack came in and so, I hastily threw it inside of my drawer."

"Why didn't you just show it to Jack?" Toothiana asked softly, handing off the device to Sandy, who seemed eager to inspect it himself. "He would have taken care of it or brought it to us."

"I...I - " Elsa hesitated, biting her lower lip. She closed her eyes and whispered, "I had the slightest suspicion tugging at my mind that Jack was the one that put it in there."

"What? Jack?"

"Frostbite? - " Even Bunnymund seemed stunned at what Elsa was saying. He quickly came to the young man's defense. "He _may_ be an irresponsible knucklehead, but he ain't a spy or traitor. That much I can tell you. We certainly didn't order for him to bug your room and Frost would never do something like that by himself. He has no reason to in the first place."

"I know - I know," the blond said, clenching her fists. "I don't want to believe it either, but - he's honestly been acting strange for the past few days. I thought...it was because of our relationship, but he's just been acting differently from what I'm used to." Elsa peered at the device that was now in Sandy's capable hands and muttered, "if that is a bug of some sort...I think I can see why Jack was so insistent on speaking in my study that night before I left for a charity dinner."

Both Toothiana and Bunnymund lowered their eyes, solemnly pondering the mystery as to what Jack was up to. A part of them knew that they should trust him, but a part of them - after hearing what Elsa said and the physical evidence present - they did not know what to believe.

As the three were engulfed in a somber silence, Sandy perked up and joined in on the conversation with a few 'words' of his own. He walked up to Elsa and his kind golden-brown eyes seemed to sparkle as he looked at her. He began excitedly signing to her, even though he was aware that she did not know the language.

"Uh…" she softly muttered in confusion, staring down at the short man apologetically.

Toothiana quickly helped translate, bringing a small smile to her own face. "Sandy's saying that we should focus on finding Jack. He says that Jack will definitely tell us the truth if we simply ask him." She let out a soft exhale through her nose, chuckling. "You're right Sandy," she said to the blond man, "we shouldn't doubt Jack's allegiance just yet. Not when we don't know his side of the story."

"We're still questioning the little bugger though," Bunnymund added in, pointedly. "All the more reason to find him and bring him back here."

The short green haired woman nodded, a confident smile on her face. "Right." She turned to Elsa and reached down to grab her lithe hand. With a gentle squeeze, she led the young woman over to one of the plush sofas and sat her down. "Please don't worry, Miss Winters. We will help you - and Jack."

Reassured to have all of the Guardians' help, Elsa felt herself be more at ease. She nodded, letting herself smile a little up at Toothiana. "Thank you. I don't know what I'd do without all of you - "

The sound of an elegant cell phone ringtone interrupted her.

Immediately, Toothiana pulled out her phone from the back pocket of her black slacks and answered it. "Hello? North, are you at the boardwalk yet?" She pulled the phone away and tapped the screen a few times to switch it to speakerphone for the whole room to hear.

 _"Of course I am. I got here a long time ago, but I do not see Jack anywhere. I only see his car."_

Elsa nervously squeezed her own hands in her lap as she stared intently at Toothiana, who spoke again, "are you sure? The tracker log says that he's been there for several hours."

 _"That thing only logs in the location every hour. Tell Sandy to go to live feed,"_ the Russian man ordered.

"We're still setting it up. Sorry North, we'll tell you the coordinates as soon as the system's up."

Elsa could hear him letting out a groaning sigh on the other end. _"That is why we should just use the main system at HQ. None of this 'hooking up' and 'set-up' nonsense."_

"Manny won't allow outsiders into HQ and we all know that Miss Winters deserves to be a part of this as much as all of us do," she argued.

Being compliant, North answered her with a gruff voice. _"Okay - but hurry. I will continue searching here until you get the coordinates."_

As soon as the call ended, Elsa muttered darkly, "you could have found Jack earlier if it weren't for me. It's all my fault..."

"What? Miss Winters - please," Toothiana gently chided, kneeling down. "We all want to include you in this. You deserve to know what happens to Jack as soon as we know it."

"But Jack - "

"That's right. It _is_ your fault."

Both Elsa and Toothiana looked over at Bunnymund, who was looking at the blond with an annoyed glare. The tension in the room grew thick, so much to the point that Sandy shrunk back behind the display screen and ceased typing on the keyboard.

After a brief pause, Elsa parted her lips to speak, but the Australian man beat her to it.

"You want to be self-pitying that badly? Then it is your fault."

" _Bunny_ \- !"

He ignored the green haired woman. "I'm not going to coddle you just because you're an heiress or because your dad supported us all these years. The question is, Winters - are you willing to take full responsibility if Jack is seriously injured? Or _dead_?"

"Yes," Elsa answered, trying to keep her voice steady.

Bunnymund laughed, scoffing a little at the end. "That's stupid of you. Is this really what Frost had to deal with all this time? A self-pitying princess that thinks she's some sort of martyr for punishment? Please."

She tightly clenched her fists, her blunt nails digging into her palms as she sharply stood up on her feet. Her icy blue eyes narrowed into a mean glare as she shouted angrily at the gray haired man, "I'm not trying to martyr myself! Isn't it true!? You all could have found Jack earlier if I wasn't included!"

"It's true, but we chose to include you - whether you like it or not. We knew what the consequences were, but we accepted them. Now, I know damn well that you're aware of all this, so don't try to act pathetic and take all the blame. We're all at fault - even Jack. Taking full responsibility blindly like that, even for the things that wasn't even your fault, isn't going to help you feel any better or change the outcome of what will happen." Bunnymund saw Elsa's shoulders relax as she let his words sink in. He relaxed himself and continued in a softer voice, "this is just how things turned out. Self-pity isn't going to change anything. Action will...so let's find Jack."

Elsa felt the anger escape her body, because she knew that Bunnymund was only caustic to her to prove a point. He was right - completely right. Sitting here saying things like - "it's my fault" - was not going to change anything.

Breaking the loosening tension, Sandy excitedly waved his arms around, grabbing everyone's attention.

"What, Sandy? You got the live feed to work?" Toothiana asked, rushing over to his side to get a look at the monitor. Everyone crowded around after her, even Elsa, even though she had no idea on how to read any of the displays that were visible.

"I'll call North," Bunnymund said, pulling out his cell phone and dialing his number.

Sandy tapped in Jack's tattoo code and let the system start honing in on the transmission being sent from it. The computer showed a global photo, then zoomed in on the Western continent, then to the entirety of Burgess.

"Damn...why isn't this thing any faster?" the Australian man asked under his breath as he waited for North to pick up his phone.

"It takes time, Bunny. It's searching on a global scale, after all," Toothiana gently reminded him.

Elsa saw it darting around as it located Arendelle on the map. It remained stagnant for a while before zooming in more, the cycle repeating itself continuously. "...Is Jack in a place where the signal's bad?"

"No, no, Miss Winters. Our tracker tattoos don't work like a cell phone would. No matter where, the signal can be found, even if he was in the deepest parts of the ocean. It's just taking a while because the signal from the microchips are low powered - to avoid detection from any scanners other than our own." Her eyes flickered back over to the screen. "The system just needs to sort through all the other interference in the airwaves - from other cell phones or electronic devices. All of them makes it harder and longer for the system to track him."

Elsa nervously bit her bottom lip as her blue eyes stared hard at the screen, watching it zoom in once more - closely to downtown Arendelle.

"Oi, North!" Bunnymund said, his call finally connecting him to the burly Russian man. "We got the system to work - it says he's in downtown Arendelle! _Shit_ \- it's taking its sweet time to pinpoint his precise location, isn't it?"

* * *

He was confused as to why he was being blindfolded again. Jack felt Sera tightening the knot behind his head, securing the blindfold over his eyes. He was still dizzy, barely having any strength to fight her off.

"I need you to stay still for this part," she whispered, gently kissing the shell of his ear. Jack shivered as a knot formed in his stomach. He grew anxious as he felt her run her fingers through his silvery white hair. "I don't want to damage my toy with something so ugly...but he said that I have to if I want to keep you. Apparently bad people can find you if I don't do this. _...Sorry_ , Jack," she said.

A grin that she could not control began spreading across her face when she saw him starting to tremble.

"I wish I didn't have to blindfold you, just so I could see your eyes when they're in pain, but you'll move too much if you see what I need to do to you. For your sake, I'd advise you to stay put…" Sera dropped her voice to a low whisper, softly caressing his hair one last time before removing her hand. "It'll only hurt for a bit. You're Jack Frost after all - the _winter spirit_? It shouldn't hurt you too bad," she asked, referencing the connection his name had to the old storybook legend.

Her hand dropped to his chest, pushing apart his opened dress shirt to reveal his snowflake tattoo. Jack drew in a sharp breath, feeling his anxiety spike.

"...Fire _always_ melts ice though…" she whispered sadly through her smile.

* * *

 _"Well, tell it to hurry up!"_

"You can't really tell a computer to hurry up, North," he replied with a roll of his minty green eyes. "It's working though, just stay on the line."

In anticipation, Elsa held her hands tightly together as the system zoomed in once more to narrow the search to several city blocks. She recognized the area to be in the industrial district, just east of the financial district where her corporation building was.

"Almost there - " Bunnymund whispered.

Right then, the computer fizzled and displayed an error message.

"What? _Signal lost_ …?" Toothiana breathed out, her pink eyes widening in a panic. "How could that be? These tattoos will work no matter what! Even if - " she held her breath, swallowing as her eyes darted over to Elsa," - even if the tattoo's been cleaved clean off his body or if he's dead, it'll still work."

The platinum blond exhaled sharply, keeping her eyes on the screen for a while longer, staring at the error message. "So...Jack… - " She looked to Sandy, then to Toothiana, then to Bunnymund, all of them showing various expressions of distress and lost hope. "Where's Jack?" she asked, hating the deepening silence in the room. "Where is he!?"

* * *

His voice was hoarse from screaming. His mouth was agape as he fought to breath in faster, taking in deeper gulps of cold air to replenish his lungs. A bit of saliva ran down from the corner of his mouth and dripped off his chin as he leaned his head back against the wall behind him. He let out a strangled cry at the constant burning pain he felt even afterwards.

"Does it hurt that much?" he heard Sera ask sweetly.

Jack could smell the stomach churning scent of singed flesh, right below him - right at his chest. He fought down the urge to retch, but he eventually dry-heaved - gagging and coughing as he spat out the sour taste of bile from his mouth.

Sera stared at him, holding the thin bar of the hot branding iron in her gloved hands. The longer she stared, the deeper her sadistic grin became. "...I want to see you in more pain." Her eyes remained on the hot iron mark that smoldered over where Jack's tattoo once was. The large cross mark split the snowflake tattoo into four evenly portioned sections, destroying its design and functionality.

He clenched his teeth, fighting down the urge to cry out as the pain ate away at his entire being. Jack felt her grab his jaw and force him to face her. He felt her untie the blindfold and pull it away from his eyes. They were blurry from tears, watery from the pain of being burned by a branding iron.

"Look at me, _only_ at me," she ordered him as she brought the iron up and brought it down onto the back of his hand.

The concrete walls prevented any noise from escaping the basement, but all throughout the room was the blood-curdling sound of a single scream. It resonated, vibrating all around and rattling Jack's head as he threw it back in sheer agonizing pain.


	23. Unloved

**Marionette**

 **Chapter 23 - Unloved**

 _Warnings: Torture, violence, mentions of rape_

* * *

He was not quite sure when he passed out. All he could remember was the throbbing pain in his head, the scratchy vibrations that tore through his throat from screaming, and the searing pain of being branded on his chest and right hand. All Jack knew was that when he opened his eyes, he found himself lying on a dusty old mattress, still confined within the dark, concrete basement. It was definitely more comfortable than being chained to the wall, but he felt his wariness grow at the prospect that something was going to happen to him. There was no way that he was safe just because he was given new accommodations.

Jack laid there for the longest time, his eyes half-lidded as he tried to regain his senses. Finally, as he tried to prop himself up to a sitting position, he moved his right hand and felt the icy cold metal of a handcuff digging into his wrist. He managed to lean up against his elbow and saw that he was chained to the metal bars of the bed frame - right hand and left leg.

His branded hand had been bandaged up neatly and there was only a numbing, dull pain. The same went for the burn he suffered on his chest. Jack peered down and saw a thick, large gauze pad taped over the burn area with proper care. He shivered at a sudden cold draft that wafted in and out of the isolated room. He still had his blazer on, but his entire dress shirt had been pulled out from underneath his pants and several buttons were missing, presumably popped off when either Sera or one of the men pulled the shirt open to bandage him while he was unconscious.

He pulled a leg up, bending it so that his bare feet lay flat against the scratchy, rough bed. He had no idea what became of his shoes, socks, as well as his holster holding all of his weapons. It left him feeling vulnerable and he despised the feeling greatly.

Experimentally, Jack tried to roll over and pull at the binds. The bed itself looked rather old and rickety, so he thought that with enough force, he could free himself by breaking one of the metal bars his handcuffs were attached to. Then he could find a way to get out of this basement and make his way to freedom. As he worked on trying to free himself, Jack stopped when he heard the sound of a metal door opening, then closing soon after.

He froze, hearing light footsteps make their way down the stairs at the opposite end of the basement. His blue eyes focused in on the inky darkness past the chain link fence that surrounded the bed. The footsteps grew louder, indicating that whoever it was, they were coming closer. Jack remained absolutely still, breath frozen in fear. His heart thumped wildly inside of his chest when he saw Sera emerge from the darkness.

Her pale skin contrasted so sharply with her jet black, fringed hair and blood red lips. She reminded him of a porcelain doll as she stood there beyond the fenced off area, staring at him as if she was a spectator viewing a caged animal. Her round gray eyes blinked in innocent curiosity as her eyes rested upon him and Jack stared back with a wary glare.

"Are you finally awake?" she asked, unlocking the chain link door to step inside the small holding area.

Jack said nothing to her as she walked over to him. He scooted away to what distance that he could before the handcuffs prevented him from moving back any further. He clenched his teeth as his left shoulder made contact with the ice cold wall, a grim reminder that he was trapped.

Sera walked right up to the side of the bed and stared down at him. Her eyes went to his bandages and then fell back down to his face. "Does it hurt?" she asked quietly.

He drew in a sharp breath when he saw her lean forward, resting a knee against the bed. Jack turned his head away when she cupped his cheek, as if her touch hurt him. Sera took notice of this and drew her hand back.

"You don't want to play with me…? I see," she sadly dropped her head, prompting Jack to glance over at her.

Much to his surprise, he saw her crying. Her narrow shoulders shook and both her hands were on her knees as she sat there on the edge of the bed. Jack turned back around with a stunned expression. He was not sure that she was even capable of crying or showing any other emotion other than happiness or sadistic pleasure, but here she was.

"...No, I don't," he answered her, his voice hoarse and weak.

"...Huh?" she raised her head to look at him. "You...don't? But...I never had a toy before. You're my first doll! I _just_ want to play with you!" Sera crawled closer towards him, wild eyed as the last of her tears coursed down her cheeks. She reached out, placing her hand on top of the thick gauze pad that covered his burn injury.

Jack flinched, letting out a little grunt in pain as she placed more of her weight on it.

Sera drew her hand back when she saw his reaction. "Ah...does it hurt when I do that? I thought...since it's been a whole day...it would have healed over."

A whole day - _24 hours_ \- it dawned on Jack that it had been that long since he was taken captive. Surely the Guardians knew that something was awry, so why hadn't they come for him?

"Sorry," she squeaked out, raising a hand to touch at the bandages she wore around her neck, "I don't know what hurts and what doesn't."

Jack felt his anxiety rise when he saw Sera draw a small knife that she kept holstered on her thigh. She brought her arm up, her wrist facing her, and she did one clean slice across, impassively staring at the blood that started to seep out from the thin, surface cut. Jack averted his eyes when he saw her doing it again - it was hard to watch her self-mutilation.

"I could never feel pain...ever since I was born and for as long as I could remember," she told him, cutting across her skin once more.

Jack started to hear the slow, steady dripping of blood on the bed, presumably from her self-inflicted wounds. He kept his head turned away, clenching his fists tightly to avoid trembling at how unnerved he was.

"Maybe that's why, ever since I was young, I was trained to kill people. It didn't hurt when I got stabbed, kicked, slapped, or anything. Some people envied it, others wanted to exploit it, and some were just scared of it…"

He shuddered when he felt her place her hand on his chest. Jack could feel traces of her warm blood on his skin as she lightly ran a hand up to his neck.

"No one ever accepted me though...aside from Father and Hans. They love me - _no matter wha_ t. They don't see me as a monster or just a tool to be used. That's why...I was happy when you were nice to me too."

Jack felt her gently take his jaw and turn his head around to face her. He saw her lean down close towards him and she smiled warmly.

"I know that you don't hate me, Jack. I know that...we've had our _set-backs_ , but that was all just playing around, right?"

He felt her kiss him, softly at first, but it quickly deepened as she tried to edge her tongue into his mouth. Jack struggled a little, refusing to let her in. He raised his free hand up to pry or hit her away, but she was faster, pinning his arm up against the wall and crawling on top of him. He grunted into the kiss, as she ground her knees down on his thighs, pinning both legs down firmly onto the bed. When he still refused to provide her access, Sera grabbed a hold of his neck, roughly, causing him to gasp and providing her an opening.

Jack narrowed his eyes at her as she kissed him fervently. He felt her run her clean hand down the side of his body, edging provocatively to the waistband of his dress pants, and moving around to the front to unbuckle his belt. It was then that he bit down - hard - on her tongue, causing her to pull back when the taste of copper filled both their mouths.

Sera wiped away some excess blood from her mouth as she grit her teeth together. She glared down at him, seething, and eventually broke down into a wry chuckle. "...You thought biting me would do anything?" She cupped the side of his jaw and used her thumb to smear the blood he had on the corner of his mouth. Her voice turned vindictive as she lowly muttered, "I see...my precious doll needs a lot of cleaning up to do."

He was not sure what she meant by that, but realized what she was referring to when she snapped his head to the side, revealing his neck to her. Jack flinched when he felt her gently touch the bite mark that Elsa had left on him.

"...That bitch already marked you…" Sera touched the area one last time before turning Jack's head over to face her again. Her gray eyes lowered dangerously at him. "...and _you_ let her marr your body like that."

Jack grunted as she slapped him across the face, scratching him a bit this time with her blunt nails. The angry red abrasion stung as he hatefully glared up at her.

Sera picked up the small knife that she used to cut herself and brought it to the pale skin of his neck. She held it directly over the hickey Elsa left on him and snickered playfully when she saw him shiver involuntarily. The tip of the knife dragged over his skin and produced tiny beads of ruby red blood. Jack remained still, keeping his resentful glare on her even though he felt like a frightened wreck on the inside.

"... _Oh Jack_ …" she said sweetly, dragging the knife further down his neck. " All you had to do was ask. I'll be more than happy to teach you how to be _my perfect doll_..."

* * *

Elsa could not focus.

She was in the middle of practicing her thesis presentation, but found that she was unable to proceed any further than a couple of minutes at a time without thoughts of Jack floating into her head.

Elsa stopped pacing her room and held her presentation index cards in her hands tightly as she stood in front of her full-body mirror. Her head turned slightly and she gave a sideways glance over to her reflection. She stared back at herself for the longest time as her mind drew a hopeless blank. It happened frequently for the entirety of the day, even while she was in class and when she was meeting with her advisor to finalize her thesis for the presentation in two days. The next few days could make or break her future and Elsa knew that it was crucial that she put her full concentration towards her thesis presentation. However, the timing could not be worse.

It was already a full 24 hours since Jack went missing and worrying was all Elsa could do at the moment. The Guardians insisted that since the tracker managed to narrow down the search to the industrial district of downtown Arendelle, they would use all their time and resources to search in that area. Of course, this was easier said than done.

From what Elsa knew, the industrial district was densely-packed and covered a couple dozen city blocks. Some blocks were taken up by warehouses and some blocks had multiple apartments and bungalows all squished together like sardines in a can. Not to mention, the neighborhood itself was not of the friendliest and it definitely was not a place that you would want to get caught in at night.

With a dejected sigh, Elsa tossed her index cards onto her bed and held her forehead with both hands. She wished that she could do something to help the Guardians, to aid in their search for Jack, but they all insisted that she stay put and let them handle it until he could be located.

There was a soft knock at her bedroom door, providing Elsa with a well-needed distraction from the thoughts that madly swirled around her head. She answered with a soft, "coming," and went over to the door. When she saw that it was Toothiana, the platinum blond felt her heart speed up in anxiety, knowing that she must be there to inform her of what happened so far. Elsa swallowed the feeling down, trying to calm herself as she asked her, "...so...Jack - ?"

Toothiana avoided Elsa's prying eyes and sadly shook her head. "I'm sorry, Miss Winters. North and Bunny are still out looking for him, but it's such a dense area with private residences as well. Since we don't have the authority like the police to search their houses, we...can't really be sure if he's in one of those or not." She bowed her head, showing that she was truly apologetic towards the younger woman with the failure from today.

"I - It's okay. You're all doing your best," Elsa said, mustering up a smile. Her eyes fell to the floor as she tightly clutched at her own hands, her smile rapidly disappearing. "...It must be strange."

The green haired woman raised her head to look at the blond. Quizzically, she blinked and asked her, "...Miss Winters…?"

"Jack and I...within the circle of affluent families that I know, no one has a romantic relationship with their bodyguard. The only one that comes remotely close is my friend, Rapunzel. She's due to marry a guy that has no background or prestige - kind of like Jack." Elsa peered over at Toothiana and quickly muttered an apology. "I'm sorry...I went off to an awkward tangent - "

"It's okay, Miss Winters." Toothiana smiled softly and took the young blond's hand. She walked her down the hallway, suggesting that they take a little walk as they conversed. Letting out a little sigh, the short woman folded her hands together behind her. "...Do you regret falling in love with Jack?"

"No, of course not," Elsa shook her head, "it's just...I'm worried sick over him and I hate that. He was hired to protect me as a bodyguard, so it should be normal for me to start looking for another bodyguard, right? Most people I know tend to change bodyguards frequently and don't have much of an attachment to them."

"Hm. Yes, but...your relationship with Jack did not start off as a normal work relationship, did it?" The short woman giggled as she reminisced. "I remember when Jack would come to us at the end of each week and tell us all sorts of stories about what happened between you two. He seemed so happy to have someone that he could play and talk with. I was glad - Jack rarely got along with other children when he was younger and the one friend that he did manage to make, moved away after a few years. So, when I heard from him that you two were best friends, I was _really_ glad. Honestly, I knew it was only a matter of time before he realized he had feelings for you."

Elsa's face turned a slight pinkish color as the two women reached the top of the double staircase. Toothiana saw this and laughed again. There was a pause between them as they walked down the stairs. Once they were at the bottom, she spoke up once more.

With an ardent smile on her face, she whispered, "I understand that you're trying to rationalize your attraction towards Jack, Miss Winters, but you shouldn't. Love isn't something that could _or should_ be rationalized. You need to let it happen and run its course. I know it may not seem normal to you for someone to fall in love with their bodyguard, but you need to realize that the bond that you have with Jack goes beyond just a simple love. You two understand each other and - " her voice dropped to a light whisper, "are willing to _forgive_ if the other should make a mistake."

Elsa furrowed her brow slightly at what Toothiana said and the tone that she said it in. "...Why are you saying that…?"

"Miss Winters," the green haired woman dropped her gaze and silently led her into the parlor, where they met up with Sandy, who was still trying to get a signal out to Jack's tracker. The mute man stared at the two women, curiously, until Toothiana met his eyes. Just from that dismal look alone, Sandy knew what she was about to tell Elsa. "...we tried not to suspect Jack. We don't want to in the first place - he's like family and I've treated him as if he was my own son, but…" She trailed off gradually.

The blond silently inquired with a raised eyebrow as she watched Toothiana shoot her nervous, averting glances in her direction.

"We found Jack's prints on the bug, along with another set of prints made by what looks like a leather glove. We're not saying that he's the one that planted it there, but surely he knew about it and never bothered to inform us or you about it. We don't expect transparency from him, but for matters like this, it's important that he tells us everything." Toothiana sighed softly, holding her thin arm close to her body. "It had a long range frequency - _the bug_ \- meaning that the person listening in could have been within the radius of several hundred miles. We have no clue as to who it is at this point, but we suspect that whoever's been listening in is who we're looking for - the person that's targeting you, Miss Winters."

A shiver passed down Elsa's spine. Things were starting to hit too close to home. She had thought that perhaps the threat would dissipate after the hired mercenaries were defeated after the home invasion a few weeks ago, but it only grew. Now they were invading her privacy by planting bugs in her home and from what she was hearing from Toothiana, it felt like Jack was also someone that she could not trust. However, she refused to believe this. Jack would _never_ betray her.

"Has anyone been in your study other than yourself and Jack?"

Elsa quickly shook her head. "No, not even Anna or the servants go in there. They all have my full trust, so I can assure you that it was none of them that did this."

"I see… - "

"But...I suppose there could be one reason," Elsa brought a loose fist to her lips, thinking about what she was going to say next. "...Hans did visit our estate, along with his bodyguard, without notice once. I assumed that he was here to meet with Anna, but she told me that she never called him and he never called her. She wasn't even aware that he had come by. I thought at the time that it was weird, but I didn't think too much of it past that." Toothiana and Sandy glanced at each other at the mention of Hans' name. Elsa took notice of this and questioned, "is...something wrong?"

Sandy quickly signed something to Toothiana and she nodded, as if agreeing with what he said. "Jack mentioned Hans when he brought us a smaller bug. He seemed insistent that it was him who planted it in your study, but we didn't want to go pointing fingers just yet. Hans could have indeed planted the bug underneath your desk, as well as, the "decoy" that Jack brought us, but it still doesn't explain why Jack tried to hide the fact that he knew about the one underneath your desk."

Elsa felt confused at this point. She tightly held the bird charm on her necklace as she tried to think of a reason of why Jack would keep it a secret from her and the Guardians, especially when it looked like it pertained to the very people that he was supposed to be protecting her from. At this point, it started to look like he was siding with Hans in whatever was going on. She wanted to give him the benefit of doubt, but it was difficult to do so, the longer she listened to Toothiana and Sandy's input on the situation.

"Would it help to speak with Hans? He could know something - maybe where Jack is as well," she offered up as a suggestion.

"That's where it gets tricky, Miss Winters," Toothiana replied, "at this point, we're not sure about anything. We don't know what he wants or where his loyalties lie, or if we're just plain wrong and he's just a neutral party. If we talk to him, we could be in danger of tipping him off and putting Jack in danger." She sighed, holding the side of her face as her pink eyes stared dismally at the well-polished marble tiled floors. "I would go with Jack's word and question Hans by now, but...honestly after finding out that Jack's been keeping information from us...we don't know if we can trust him anymore."

* * *

He heard her lightly humming the melody of the children's nursery rhyme that she had afixed her attention on in recent days. As she came to a stop at an intersection, Hans glanced over at her and muttered, "where'd you get that?"

"Hm?" Sera asked cheerfully and innocently.

"That - the necklace."

"Oh!" she giggled, touching the shiny blue bird charm with the tips of her gloved hand. "Someone gave it to me! It's pretty, right?"

Hans let out a soft 'hm' and paid no more attention to it as the light turned green. He kept his eyes forward as Sera drove him to the Winters' estate. She started humming again, lightly, but Hans drummed his fingers away on the glossy wooden door handle of the car, agitated and anxious. Still images of Aaron's mutilated body as well as the copious amounts of blood on the freshly fallen snow played through his mind like a horror movie reel. Finally -

"Could you stop?"

"Eh?"

"With the humming," he stated sharply. Hans tightly clutched at the leather bound folder he had in his lap, containing the documents that Aaron had been studying before his death.

"You don't like it?"

The auburn haired man did not answer her, leaving Sera to pout a little as she powered the car through the affluent, hillside neighborhood that was filled with mansions and estates. The two did not say anything to each other until they pulled up in the half-circle driveway in front of the Winters' estate.

"Why did you suddenly want to come here, Hans?" Sera curiously inquired, turning the key to turn off the engine.

He rubbed the ends of one of the tweed ropes that decorated the spine of the folder he held, not answering her right away. "...Just - "

Sera dropped her voice dangerously, glaring at him. "You didn't drag me all the way out here just so you could meet with that bitch, Anna, _right_?"

Hans felt his breath hitch in the middle of his throat, stuck as he tried to form words. He felt jumpy whenever her mood suddenly changed, more so after she killed Aaron. She was unpredictable and it caused an icy cold fear to flood his veins. Hans knew that she could very well kill him without a second thought if he failed to give her the attention that she craved.

"...N - No. I'm just - !" He stopped when she kissed him deeply. When he tried to pull away, she grabbed a hold of the collar of his gray polo shirt and held him there for the longest time. It was not until when she pulled away, was he allowed to do the same.

"Break up with her soon, okay Hans?" she asked sweetly, drawing figure '8's into his chest with the tip of her slender index finger. "You love me right…? So it should be easy."

"Y - Yeah...easy." He stammered softly as he got out of the car, Sera following suit. His footing faltered and his breathing quickened when he saw Sera's candy sweet smile being flashed at him over the roof of his car. Hans swallowed the lump that formed in his throat and tried to ignore her, reminding himself that he needed to get a grip. He was at the Winters' residence for one purpose and one purpose only.

He walked up the front steps and rang the doorbell. After just a few seconds, he heard one of the maids answering through the intercom.

"Who is it?" she asked, her voice bleating through the speaker.

"Hans Isles. I - _uh_ \- I'm here to see Elsa."

"One moment. I'll open the door for you."

Hans held his breath just as the front door opened up a few minutes later. He felt his hands becoming clammy with sweat as he was greeted by the maid. He was growing anxious with each passing second. Was he really going to go through with this? Was this really what he wanted?

He let out a soft sigh as the maid let him and Sera inside the mansion. When he heard the door shut behind them, he closed his eyes. _'It's what Aaron would want. It's the least I could do for him...'_

"I've already called Miss Winters downstairs to meet with you. She should be here any minute," the maid said, offering to take Hans' heavy, beige trenchcoat. He kindly handed it off to her just as Elsa made her appearance.

She stared back at him in surprise as she stopped at the top of the stairs. "...Hans - " She definitely was not expecting him to stop by, not to mention, to request that he speak to her and not Anna.

"Elsa - " He stepped forward, but abruptly stopped as he turned back towards Sera. He held out his arm to his side and addressed her, "Sera...you should just wait here. I need to speak to Elsa in private."

The platinum blond wrinkled her brow in confusion as she watched Hans order his bodyguard to stay behind. She began to feel wary of Hans' sudden visit. Not only was it a coincidence that he decided to drop by the very next day after she and the Guardians listed him off as a suspect for targeting her, but his current behavior was also noteworthy.

He seemed jumpy, although he was doing his best to cover it up with his usual cool, debonair exterior. After Elsa waved towards him, gesturing to him that he join her in her study, she studied his body language. His green eyes were darting around everywhere, his eyebrows were furrowed, his brow wrinkled in worry, and there was the slightest hint of dark circles underneath his normally bright eyes - he was definitely nervous about something.

"Is this an urgent matter, Hans?" Elsa asked as the two made their way towards her study.

"I'm sorry, did you have classes at the university today?"

"No, but I do need time to study." She kept her responses brief and curt. Even though Hans had shown her his kindness at the charity dinner, she remembered her conversation with Toothiana and Sandy last night. They had yet to deduce if he was trustworthy or not and Elsa knew that she had to keep her distance from him for now. "That's why I'd like to keep this brief," she said to him as she opened the door to her study and allowed him inside.

"I understand." Hans nodded, thanking the young woman as he stepped inside, only to be met with surprise when he saw Toothiana in the room as well.

The green haired woman held a hand up and curled her fingers in a sequential manner as she gave him an earnest smile. "H _iiiii_ ," she said to him in a sing-song voice.

"Who are y - ?"

"She's my bodyguard. I hope you don't mind if she's here as well," Elsa said in response, guiding him to the twin sofas with a wave of her arm.

"O - Of course not." Hans did not seem to mind Toothiana's presence as he took a seat on the sofa opposite of Elsa. His eyes darted back and forth between her and the bodyguard for a while before he asked, "...did you decide to give Jack a vacation?"

"He had some important matters to attend to," she lied. Elsa eyed the leather bound folder that Hans carried and he immediately took notice.

"Since you wanted to keep this brief...I'll get straight to the point," he muttered, setting the folder down on the table in front of him. He slid it over to Elsa, who peered up at Hans questionably before touching it. Hans kept his head down, with his hands folded in his lap as he heard her opening up the folder and shuffling through the documents.

Elsa soon realized that the documents pertained to the financial records of her corporation. "This is…" she breathed out, eyes widening. Her eyebrows angled down dangerously as she glared at him. "Where did you get these?" she questioned him in an accusatory tone.

"Let me explain - "

"These are classified documents, only the senior accountant and corporation attorney has access to these files!" Elsa kept her icy cold glare on Hans as he fidgeted in his seat. He kept his head down, avoiding her eyes.

"...Aaron had them," he finally muttered.

Her shoulders relaxed at the sound of her attorney's name. Elsa studied Hans' morose expression and asked, bringing her voice down a volume notch, "why would Aaron take corporate files home? He should know that it's classified, sensitive information."

"I'd suspect that he was following a lead."

"A lead?" Elsa asked incredulously, glancing down at the papers, then back at Hans. "...Where is Aaron?"

"You don't know?" he asked, looking up at her with widened eyes. His hands clenched into tight fists over his knees as he did not answer her for what felt like the longest time. He grit his teeth together and finally managed to whisper out, "...he's dead. A...car accident."

"...What?" Elsa blinked, widening her eyes as well at the shocking revelation. "Aaron? He's - really dead?" She refused to believe it. He was becoming someone that she could possibly confide in and trust, but to have him ripped out of her life so abruptly was impacting her harder than she imagined it would. She tried to moisten her dry mouth, preparing to speak. "...Is that why you decided to visit me today, Hans? For your brother?"

"For him...yes," Hans replied, lowering his head once more. "...Aaron was a good brother to me - acted as a father figure for most of my life since our father was usually busy as an active judge. He was the only one that actually cared about me, among all of my siblings. Although he was going to be the one to inherit the family's lawfirm, I felt no resentment towards him for it. He deserved that and a whole lot more, but - " He stopped himself, his voice starting to crack slowly. Hans swallowed the lump that was forming in his throat and muttered, "...he didn't deserve to die like that - the way he did. It was my fault..."

Toothiana raised an eyebrow at Hans' body language and tone of voice. He seemed strangely apologetic while talking about Aaron, despite the fact that he said he died from an accident. Toothiana studied him further and finally she pursed her red lips briefly before asking, "he didn't die from a car _accident_ , did he?"

Elsa turned around, wide eyed, towards Toothiana, then turned back around to look at Hans, who provided the definite answer with a wall of silence and a look of sullen guilt. She drew in an inaudible, sharp breath and asked, "...you...killed your _own brother_?"

Hans suddenly shot up from his seat, a wild look in his eyes, prompting Toothiana to quickly draw one of her daggers - readied to strike at him if necessary. However, he faltered, staggering back as he produced a shuddering cry of anguish from his throat. "I did it...I killed him! If I hadn't decided to stupidly pursue my unrealistic goals of taking over your corporation, none of this would have happened! I regret everything - EVERYTHING!" Hans buried his face in his hands, screaming as the harsh reality of his actions came crashing down on him like a steel wall. He broke down, his normally neatly combed back hair - messy, as he grabbed fistfuls of it in his smooth, pale hands, which were shaking violently.

Elsa and Toothiana stood back, staring in shock and horror of what Hans was saying and what he was doing now. He was clearly suffocating in his own guilt, unable to be saved at this point. Neither of them were sure of how to proceed - how to talk to him while his mental state was quickly deteriorating in front of them.

Although Elsa would have liked to question him further about 'taking over her corporation,' she knew that it would only potentially set him off. "...Hans," she gently called out to him, drawing his attention towards her.

He stifled his cries, but did not face her just yet.

The blond gently folded her hands over each other on her lap and drew out an exhale through her nose, her shoulders falling into a relaxed state. "...I can only assume...that you're here because you want to set things right? To give your brother some peace?" She seemed to be getting through to him by appealing to his emotional side. When she saw his trembling cease, Elsa continued. "Tell me…" She placed her hand down on the papers in front of her. With her next words, she heard Hans draw in a sharp breath.

"...What were you planning - and where are you keeping Jack?"

* * *

"Eat it."

He could feel the crumbling smoothness of a vanilla flavored macaron being pushed against his slightly cracked lips. The delicate treat being offered to him came with no surprise.

Jack peered up at Sera through his white bangs, his blue eyes dull, but narrowed with a dangerous glare. He had no strength in his body, from being wrecked with so much pain and from a lack of food for nearly three days. The young woman was not starving him, in fact, she encouraged him to eat - bringing him mouthwatering meals several times a day. However, Jack refused to eat. Eating the food she brought him would mean that he was at her mercy and he refused to surrender to her so easily.

Sera narrowed her eyes at him and threw the crumbled macaron back into the box. She grabbed a clear glass of water and brought a hand to his throat, forcefully lifting his head up.

He let out a choked cough when he felt her ram the edge of the glass past his lips. Jack refused to eat, but his body was thirsting for water instinctively, so he drank it greedily as she tilted the cup. The cold fluid dribbled down the sides of his mouth and ran down his neck. He could feel it running across the cuts he suffered on his chest and abdomen, sending a light stinging sensation of relief through his body.

The black haired woman stared at him with a disgusted look crossing her gray eyes as she felt his Adam's apple move underneath her hand after his last gulp. "...You think you can resist me?" she whispered, staring down at him as she threw the empty glass on the ground beside the bed.

It shattered with a loud crack, but Jack defiantly kept his eyes directly on hers as Sera's averted to the various bruises and cuts he had on his face.

"This is all part of the process," she muttered, running a thumb over the dark red bruise he had on the corner of his mouth. "...Yes, all part of the process. I can't have a doll that won't obey me." She sounded as if she was speaking to herself, reminding herself that what she was doing to him was justified in her sick mind.

Jack drew in a sharp breath when he felt a paralyzing pain race through his body from his left arm. He could feel each and every barb cut deeper into his skin and invade his soft tissue.

Sera took notice of this and her gray eyes flashed with a whimsical delight. "Does it hurt?" she asked innocently as she grabbed one end of the barbed wire and pulled. One of the barbs dug into her hand, but she took no notice of it as she was focused solely on Jack, writhing beneath her in pain.

He felt the wire tightening around his arm, cutting past some parts of his torn dress shirt sleeve and staining the white fabric in a deep red as the barbs stabbed into him. Jack did not dare move his arm. He found out after the first time that the more he tried to move, the more painful it was. Not to mention, he could not move his arm even if he wished to - the entire length of it was bound tightly by the wires to the railings on the head of the bed.

Jack clenched his teeth tightly as he fought down the urge to yell and cry out. He took notice that Sera took pleasure in hearing him be vocal. It was a sick fascination that he refused to fuel.

"If it hurts, you should just say something," she gently chided him, leaning down just inches away from his face. Sera giggled softly, grinning as she saw him giving her a strained glare. She cupped his chin and instantly let go of the wire, producing a loud sigh of relief from him.

Jack felt a thin layer of sweat forming all around his body as he sat there, trying to recover. With his body trembling softly in pain and his mind soon going numb, he could barely process, much less protest against her as Sera kissed him deeply. He felt too weak to fight her off when he felt her slippery tongue play with him. This was a common occurrence - she would torture him, or as she would say "punish him", and then immediately afterwards, she would treat him as she would a lover.

"Thank you for the necklace, by the way, Jack," she breathed out, breaking the kiss. Her thin finger hooked underneath the silver chain, as if she was showing it off to him.

Jack stared hard at it, keeping his lips tightly shut as she played with the bird charm. She looked down at it, admiring the fine details and beautiful crystal droplets that adorned it. It had fallen out of his blazer's pocket when she took it off of him the other day. The young woman seemed instantly drawn to the piece of dazzling jewelry. At first, Jack was sure that she knew about the poison that coated the necklace because of her connection with the man that she called her 'father' and the one that told him to kill Elsa with it. However, Sera happily put it on herself, giggling like a little child as she did so.

By that time, Jack figured that he won. All he had to do was endure her until the poison did its job. By his estimate, the poison would deteriorate by itself in three days. He was not quite sure that it would be enough days to kill her, but Sera would surely feel the effects of it soon - he hoped. He did think that it was strange that Sera took no precaution with the necklace and jumped to the wild conclusion that he had been keeping that as a present for her, but if it meant that he could escape this torture, he did not question her behavior.

Sera lovingly kissed him again, moving her mouth against his and plunging her tongue into the deep orifices of his mouth. She brushed her hips against his as she straddled his lap. Never breaking the kiss, she moaned into him and grabbed a fistful of his silvery white hair. After a few minutes, she broke away, giving his bruised lips one last teasing lick. Sera stared at him and he gave her a impassive gaze back.

"...You don't like me, Jack?" she asked, softly, pulling her arms back and reaching out towards the macaron box that rested on the edge of the bed. She pulled out a bright red strawberry flavored macaron and held it in between her index finger and thumb. "I try to feed you and you won't accept any food, even though I know you're hungry…" Sera bit off half of the sweet morsel in front of him, teasing him. "...I'm offering to satisfy the other hunger you must have, but you've refused me. You're a healthy young man, you must have your needs."

Her hand slid down his stomach and towards his loosened belt.

"...I know that men won't refuse a woman - even when she's being forced."

Jack's brow furrowed slightly at the sound of Sera's voice dropping to a saddened tone. He saw her peering up at him, then averting her eyes back down to the buckle of belt.

"It's normal, isn't it?" she asked him, letting her hand rest on his stomach, over the bloody cuts she gave him. "Even when you're screaming at them to stop, they still go for it. Even if you're a clueless child with no prior knowledge of sex, they still do it. Even if I've screamed for my mother and father so many times, they still - "

"Stop."

Sera looked to Jack, who casted a distressed look at the wall beside them.

"...No more," he said with a hoarse whisper, not wishing to hear anymore. Jack could feel her confused eyes resting upon him and he glanced at her briefly. All he could see was a lost little girl. A girl that had her childhood ripped away from her violently and thrown head first into the icy cold waters of adulthood. What she described was an unimaginable scenario to him and while she held him captive, he felt the slightest bits of his heart wanting to help her, but he was afraid of that happening. The last thing he wanted to do was bond with his captor and sympathize her.

"It's okay, Jack…" Sera giggled as she pat the top of his head. "I have a doll like you now to play with - to love." She brought her head down to his chest and rested there for a moment. "I have a loving man that I call 'father' and another man that I call my lover...that's all that I can ask for. I'm happy...the happiest I've been in 18 years..."

Jack felt her move and capture his lips in a bruising kiss again. Instinctively, being caught off-guard after what she said, he turned his head, breaking their kiss. He immediately knew that was the wrong move.

"...Why do you refuse me, Jack?" she murmured lowly.

He failed to set his jaw in time for her blow. Jack grunted as she violently hit him across the face. He accidentally bit his own tongue in the process and tasted copper inside of his mouth. His chest heaved up and down in deep pants as he spat out some excess blood to the side. He casted a sideways glance towards Sera, who stared down at him with a wide, dangerous eyes.

"Is it because of that bitch, Elsa?"

He flinched at the mention of the blond's name. Sera immediately took notice of this and sneered.

"Oh? Did you devote yourself to her, hm?" Her fingers went to the area on his neck where Elsa had left a bite mark. Earlier, Sera had scratched it multiple times with the tip of her knife as well as her nails, practically bloodying the area. It stung when she flitted her fingers over it and Jack drew in a sharp breath. "...She should pay for marking up my doll like this so freely."

Jack widened his eyes when he saw her get off of his lap and leave him. Sera laughed at him, teasingly over her shoulder as she smoothed out the black leather miniskirt she wore. He shouted out after her as she went beyond the gated off area. "Stay away from Elsa!"

"Hm?" She smiled as she closed the gate behind her, locking it up. "You're not the boss of me, Jack!" she snickered immaturely into her hand. A wide sneer crossed her face. "...You need to learn true pain before you can feel pleasure."

He clenched his fists and tried to pull away from the bed, but winced in severe pain as he felt the barbed wire dig into his left arm and his bruised right wrist meeting the sharp cold of the metal handcuffs. Jack fell back against the metal bars of the headboard, weakly panting and breaking out into a cold sweat at the sensation of pain coursing through his body.

"Stay away...from her…" he said in between labored breaths. Jack clenched and relaxed his fists as he felt the dizzying effects of light-headedness overcoming his senses. He could barely move as he heard Sera's retreating footsteps.

"El...sa…"

* * *

Hans drew out a shaky breath as he stood before the front door of the Winters' mansion. He raised a hesitant hand over the doorbell, then promptly dropped it, along with his head. With a nervous shift of his green eyes over to his family's car behind him in the driveway, he turned his attention back to the white double doors. Although he had confessed to his crimes against the Winters to Elsa, he had yet to speak with Anna about the status of their relationship.

He rang the doorbell and waited for one of the maids to answer it.

"Hello?"

"Is - _uhm_ \- Anna home? This is Hans Isles."

"Yes. One moment please."

Hans held his breath subconsciously as the front door opened up. As soon as he stepped inside the warm home, he immediately saw Anna rushing down the double staircase towards him. She seemed eager to see him, but not in a good way.

"Hans," she breathlessly greeted him, panting heavily to catch her breath. She looked up at him with widened blue eyes, as if she was shocked to even see him there. The young girl turned to the maid that had opened the door and dismissed her. "We'll be in the lounge - "

"Actually - " Hans cut in, lowering his head, "do you mind if we speak outside, Anna?"

She knitted her brows together, perplexed. "Huh?"

He led her outside, keeping his eyes lowered to the ground and his lips pressed in a tight line. Hans released a soft sigh as soon as he heard the front door closing behind them and elected to close his eyes as he faced the strawberry blond. He had to end things here.

Anna waited on his word with baited breath. She was not quite sure what to expect, but the more she read into his body gestures and the wall of silence between them, her expectations fell sharply and quickly. Her shoulders relaxed and her hands tensed up into fists as the corners of her mouth fell into a morose frown.

Hans began, slowly and calmly, "...Anna, I - "

"It's okay. You don't have to say it."

Hans reopened his eyes, surprised with her statement, and raised his head to look at her. She had her head lowered so that he could not see her face. For a moment, he wondered if she was crying and he felt the slightest bit of guilt inside of him. However, when she raised her head to face him, the dejected half-smile as well as the sideways glance she casted onto the snow covered driveway made his heart sink.

"I knew...it never would have worked out between us." Anna let out a wry chuckle, holding her head with one hand. "I held on though. I wished that it could have worked out between us because...I thought we were good together." Her voice cracked, but he saw no tears forming in her eyes. "I felt like a princess in those fairy tales my mom used to read to me every night before bed when we went out on dates - _and you were my prince_."

Hans could tell that she was trying not to cry. She swallowed down large lumps in her throat multiple times before speaking again in a trembling voice.

"Even though this conversation doesn't come off as a surprise, honestly... it still kinda hurts." Anna giggled softly, immediately followed by a light, choked cough. Her words began piercing Hans' heart and he wished that perhaps that she would just start crying or get angry. It was more painful to hear her swallowing down her tears and pretending that she was not affected by this as much.

"Anna," he murmured, tearing his eyes away from her as he stood there clenching his fists. _'I'm sorry,'_ was what he wanted to say to her, but she beat him to it.

"I'm sorry, but - is it okay…? Is it okay...to ask for a kiss?" she asked, stammering as she fought to control her voice. "...I won't ask the real reason why we have to go our separate ways, but in exchange...could I have a kiss? .. _.Please_?"

Hans saw her slowly leaning up to meet him and he let his eyes close, accepting her request. Her lips felt soft against his upon the first touch and he could feel his heart speeding up slightly as Anna held him close, deepening the innocent kiss. He had multiple girlfriends in the past, all of whom he broke up with fighting words or tears. This type of break-up was definitely a first for him, but it was far from being pleasant or unpleasant. He felt apologetic towards Anna - sorry that he used her like a tool just to fulfill his selfish greed.

He brought his arms up to wrap around Anna's small waist, returning her affectionate action. He felt as if he owed her that much.

However, just as he did -

"...Hans?"

Sera saw the two pull away from each other abruptly. Her red lips parted slightly as she stared at him, then to Anna, both of them blushing softly.

"S - Sera - " he stuttered, looking as guilty as a husband that was caught cheating on his wife. Hurriedly, he went around the small black sedan to greet her as she stood by the open driver's side door. "What are you doing here - ?"

The black haired woman stared up at him with a livid, blank gaze. She clenched her fists tightly and it was at that time that Hans looked down. He drew in a sharp, inaudible gasp at the sight of a large knife in her left hand. The young man glanced at Sera's livid expression again, then over to Anna, who stood at the front doors, worriedly staring at him. It seemed as though she did not see the knife.

"Sera," he whispered under his breath, feeling anxious that she was holding such a dangerous weapon in her hand with her unpredictable emotional state. "Why are you here?"

"I was...looking for Elsa," she replied back in a monotone trance, keeping her livid stare on Hans. The pupils of her gray eyes dilated dangerously when she heard Anna approaching the car from the other side. She snapped her head towards the strawberry blond and glared hatefully at her.

"Elsa…?" she asked the two. "Elsa left to give her thesis presentation at the university." Her azure eyes darted back and forth between Hans and Sera. "...Why are you asking for her?"

As if snapping out of her trance, Sera blinked, releasing the tension in her small body. Her friendly, sugar sweet demeanor returned in a blink of an eye as she flashed Anna a little smile. "Really? It's nothing! Hans thought that he left something in her study the other day!" she lied, prompting him to look at her with a confused narrowed gaze.

He opened his mouth to protest, but froze when he felt the tip of the sharp knife between pressed against his abdomen. Although it did not pierce his skin, thanks to the thick layers of clothing he wore, he felt the pressure of it pressing up on him and caught the dangerous glint of the weapon in his peripheral vision. Hans did not dare say anything else because he was very much aware that Sera could thrust the knife into his body at any given moment.

She smiled at Anna again and turned her attention towards the Isles' family driver, who was waiting on standby beside the family's luxurious sedan. "Herman!" she called out to the middle-aged driver, "you can go on ahead! I have to take Hans to his father's lawfirm, on his request."

Hans shivered when he saw his driver leaving without a single sign of suspicion. He let his eyes fall back down on Sera, who giggled sweetly as she removed the knife from his abdomen. Just what was she planning? Why was she even here in the first place?

"Sorry, Anna! I'd let him stay here longer, but his father wants him at the lawfirm, ASAP!" Sera exclaimed, hopping back into the driver's seat.

Anna, confused with Sera's sudden appearance as well as Hans' wordless compliance, took a step back from the sedan. She kept her curious eyes on Hans, who seemed to be avoiding eye contact with her as he got into the passenger's seat. He was leaving so abruptly and without a word.

As the car door closed in front of her, Anna gave Hans one last look, worried about the abrupt change in the atmosphere surrounding them. She locked eyes with him, sapphire with emerald, and shared one last look together before the car followed the Isles family car out of the driveway. With her pink lips slightly parted, white puffs of her breath floated out past them as she stood there for the longest time. She brought a hand up and clutched at her green fleece sweater over her chest, wondering what she should do.

Because for a moment, she could have sworn that Hans had a look of fear in his eyes - silently calling out to her for help.

* * *

Sera drove erratically, weaving in and around cars on the freeway. All the while, she had the more serene smile on her face as she began humming that ominous nursery rhyme. It brought chills up and down Hans' spine.

"...I thought you were going to break up with her, Hans," she said cheerfully as she swerved past a car that promptly began to honk at her.

He felt terror, not from her driving, but from what she said and how she said it. He could tell that she was angry. "I did," he answered her as calmly as possible.

"Why were you kissing her then?"

"It was just a parting gesture - "

Sera interjected with a childish giggle. "L _iiii_ ar," she sang, barely missing a car in front of her as she maneuvered the car expertly to avoid all traffic. "You don't kiss people unless you like them!"

Hans felt his heartbeat speed up when he noticed that they were starting to head into downtown Arendelle - opposite of the Southern Isles where his father's lawfirm was. "...Sera…?"

She did not answer him, instead, she stepped on the gas and powered the car through the narrow downtown streets with ease. They passed the financial district and Hans got one last glimpse of the towering Winters Financials corporate building before they passed a few city blocks and landed in the middle of the industrial district. She slowed down the speed of the car and began to softly hum the melody of the nursery rhyme she was so fixated on recently.

Hans felt his blood freeze up inside his veins as the car rolled into an empty parking lot. He recognized it to be an inactive brewery that seemed to have closed down years ago. Some windows were cracked and some had graffiti painted all over them. There were some broken beer barrels strewn out on the loading dock where Sera parked the car in front of.

"Get out. We're here," she said sweetly, smiling as she turned off the engine.

"...W - Where's here?" he asked, eyeing her warily as she picked up the knife she had earlier.

"Don't look so scared, Hans." Sera giggled as she leaned forward to cup his cheek. She placed a light kiss on his lips and whispered as she pulled away, "you'll be happy once you see what I have to show you. I promise."

The auburn haired man thought it was for the best to just do as she said. He was deathly afraid of her at this point. She was prone to behaving unpredictably and Hans was well aware that she could kill anyone - even him - without remorse if she wanted to.

Just like how she killed his brother in cold blood.

"Come, come," she cheered, giggling as she motioned for him to follow her into the old brewery. "I know you still want Winters Financials, so I was actually on the way to kill Elsa myself today!"

It was bitingly cold inside of the brewery, but Hans found himself shivering at how apathetic Sera sounded at the whole prospect of killing someone, rather than the environmental surroundings. Broken glass and splinters of wood cracked underneath the soles of his heavy, tan boots with each step. He made sure that he watched where he stepped with how many broken bricks and holes were on the ground.

"...Why were you getting money from the Winters then?" he questioned her suspiciously.

"Eh?" she answered, innocently widening her gray eyes as she stopped walking. "I was?"

"I saw it on the financials that Aaron was studying," Hans said with a steady voice, trying not to alarm her or set her off. "If you do want to help me get Winters Financials, then why are you getting money from them?"

Sera vigorously shook her head. "I'm not! I swear!"

"Don't lie to me," he muttered, narrowing his eyes. He felt a simmering rage boil inside of him, pushing aside the fear he felt.

"Father said that liars are the worst! I would never lie about important stuff like that! I only get money from you and him!" she insisted strongly.

Hans wrinkled his brow and opened his mouth to speak, but was promptly interrupted by Sera.

"I'll show you! I'm trying to help you, Hans!" She went off towards the back of the brewery, where they had kept all the beer stored in wooden barrels for fermentation. Hans followed her, wondering what she wanted to show him so desperately - although he had a slight suspicion as to who it was -

Sera pushed aside an empty barrel, revealing an old trapdoor that lead down to the basement of the establishment. She pulled it open, the old wood of it cracking and the rusty hinges groaning. It was dimly lit down there, but Hans followed the young woman, who continued to insist that he follow her closely.

"J _aaaa_ ck!" she called out sweetly.

 _'Jack…?'_ Hans thought to himself curiously as he followed Sera. She suddenly start running up to a chain link fence. It was dim and dark, but Hans could barely make out the silhouette of a bed beyond the fence, then as he walked closer - _a body._

His green eyes widened in horror as he took in the gruesome sight in front of him.

The valiant bodyguard that he knew was tied to the railings of the bed like a ragdoll. He was bandaged, but also bloody with various cuts leaking blood all over his torso and chest. Blood ran down the sides of his face, matting the tips of his silvery white hair with a dark brown-red color. One arm was completely mangled by barbed wire that kept him tied to the bed, the other was restrained by a handcuff, which dug into his bleeding wrist. It looked as though his entire body was bathed in his own blood.

Sera hummed happily as she unlocked the gate and opened it up, allowing her and Hans inside the small, gated off area. "See! See!" she clapped her hands together happily as she showed off her work to Hans, who approached the bed with a horrified grimace.

He stared at Jack and he drew back slightly in shock when he saw the bodyguard move his head slightly, shaking in pain. Their eyes met and Hans was surprised to see that Jack still had some sanity left, with the narrowed glare he presented him with. It did not look like his spirit was broken.

"You told me to do this, remember?" she asked.

Hans shook his head slightly when he saw Jack wince as he bared his teeth. His shoulders heaved up and down in a labored pant, showing that it was painful for the young man to even breathe. "N - No. I didn't...I swear!" he said directly to Jack. "It was a mistake! I never meant for any of this to escalate this far - !"

"...Why are you lying, Hans?"

He shot a wild eyed glance over to Sera who stood behind him. His breath hitched in his throat when he saw the impassive, deadly look in her eyes. "I - I - " he stammered unintelligently. His mouth dried up when he saw the young woman draw her knife.

Sera tossed it languidly, catching it by the handle with ease each time. She smiled gently at the auburn haired man and asked, "...just kidding."

"...?"

"I'm not like father," she giggled and threw the knife up into the air once more, but this time she caught it by the tip of the blade. She held out the handle side of it towards Hans, as a silent offering. "I believe in giving people chances to redeem themselves - even if they lie."

Jack warily watched the two, fully conscious at this point.

"Kill him."

His blue eyes widened, as well as Hans', at Sera's sudden order. At first, Jack thought that he heard wrong, but when she repeated it, he could feel the blood drain from his face.

"Kill him," Sera said, smiling at Hans. "You said that Jack needed to be out of the way for you to get Winters Financials, right? For you to get to Elsa easily?"

Jack grit his teeth when he saw Hans taking the knife with no hesitation. He struggled against his binds, but grunted sharply at the pain. Escape was not an option, nor was fighting back.

Hans turned on his heel to face Jack, knife in hand.

Frantic and feeling adrenaline pump through his body, Jack struggled even more, grunting and crying out when he felt some of his injuries opening up and the barbed wire around his left arm digging in deeper. There was a dangerous look in Hans' eyes as he stood over him at the side of the bed. Jack knew how manipulative and cunning he was - their last conversation was proof enough that he was willing to reach his goals just to satisfy his insatiable greed. He had held Jack's traitor title above his head, using it as leverage and as a threat. Jack had no doubts that unless he fought off Hans now, he would be killed.

A hoarse cry left Jack's throat when he saw Hans' hand tighten around the handle of the knife.

His blue eyes widened when he saw the glint of steel going up in a blink of an eye. His cracked lips parted and he frantically yelled out in a desperate plea.

"STOP - !"

Blood stained the dusty mattress, spurted out in a wild spray across the walls, and a choked gurgle was the only sound in the entire basement. After a few seconds, there was only a heavy silence and the faintest stench of death hung heavy in the air.


	24. By Your Side

**Marionette**

 **Chapter 24 - By Your Side**

 _Warnings: Gore, Violence_

* * *

The black-red surface of the piping hot cup of black tea rippled just slightly as a soft white steam wafted from it. Elsa could barely make out her own reflection as she leaned forward to pick it up and take a sip. Drinking tea always calmed her down, allowing her mind to slip into a more rational state so that she could think things through better.

She stared at the documents laid out in front of her on her study desk, trying to process what information she had gotten from them so far. When Hans had brought her these papers yesterday in his impromptu meeting, she had no idea what he was trying to say, but upon further inspection she could see why they were of importance.

 _"Sera...I thought she was someone I could trust,"_ Elsa could remember Hans telling her.

* * *

"But when I saw that she was also getting money from you, I began to question her motives. She knows that my goals were to take over your corporation through your sister."

Elsa gradually tightened her hands into fists, but kept her composure - despite what Hans was telling her about how he planned to use Anna for his own gains. She had to question him further because she had no doubts that Jack's disappearance was linked to Hans and Sera. "...You planted bugs in my study in hopes of getting information about me and my corporation?"

Hans met her eyes briefly before meekly lowering his head. "Yes…" he breathed out, "I thought it was the easiest access since I can't get into the higher offices of your corporation."

He was the lowest of the low in her eyes right now. Pretending to date and love her little sister for his own gains, violating her privacy by coming into her house without permission, and just having the mere thought of trying to swindle her corporation from her was a sign of sheer disrespect that made Elsa's blood boil.

"You tricked all of us just for your own selfish needs," she whispered under her breath.

"I did."

"You played with Anna's heart as if it was nothing to you." Elsa could tell that her words were like icicles stabbing him in the heart with the way he flinched. "Tell me why I should even think about forgiveness or mercy for you." When he did not respond to her, she scoffed lightly and commented, "maybe Jack knew about you since that charity dinner. I thought he was acting rude towards you at the time, but now I can see why."

Hans turned his head away slightly and muttered softly, "your own bodyguard isn't much of a saint either."

"...Excuse me?"

"You think Jack's looking out for you? Protecting you?"

Elsa grew angered at the mere idea that Hans was trying to shift the attention and blame over to Jack. She opened her mouth to defend him, but she stopped when she felt a light hand on her shoulder. Surprised, Elsa turned around to meet Toothiana's pensive gaze. She wrinkled her brow and shook her head, silently telling her that she should listen to what Hans was saying without interrupting him.

Seeing this, Hans continued slowly, knowing that he was treading on dangerous grounds. "...Jack always had his own plans. I can't even begin to imagine the things that goes on inside of his head."

"Like what - ?"

"He was planning to kill you, you know - _eventually_."

Both Elsa and Toothiana froze, their breath stuck inside of their throats at what Hans revealed. The blond momentarily forgot to breathe as her mind went into a blank state. Neither of them were sure of how to respond to such a claim for the longest time.

"...What? What do you mean?" Elsa finally managed to breathe out. Annoyed with the silence that Hans was presenting her with, she clasped her mouth shut into a tight frown. With clenched teeth and a piercing gaze, she fired back, "Jack would never do that! Don't bring such ridiculous, baseless claims to the table just to nullify what you attempted to do - !"

"I want to come clean for what I've done! I have no reason to lie to you anymore!" Hans pursed his lips and brought the volume of his voice down to a calm murmur. "I've already confessed that I had plans to harm you and Anna as well as your corporation. I know what I've done is wrong...which is why I want to warn you of another threat." He raised his head to peer up at her. "You must know just how powerful Winters Financials is - how much of Burgess' economy you can control just being the acting CEO of it."

"I am aware."

"Then I will say that I'm not the only one actively trying to take it from you. There is someone else - "

"Who?"

Hans laced his fingers together and sighed. "...I don't know." He immediately knew that he provided the wrong answer when Elsa looked at him with sharply narrowed eyes. "I'm telling the truth. I swear," he insisted. "This mysterious man calls me out of nowhere the day after your home invasion and tells me that Jack is available to help should I require any assistance."

"And why did you believe him?" Elsa asked, trying to keep her tone even. She was afraid of what this conversation would reveal about her trusted bodyguard and boyfriend.

"He - _uh_ \- told me a lot of details about the Winters. They all sounded legitimate with how in detail he went with some of them - "

"Like what?"

Hans bit at his bottom lip for a moment, then released it with an inaudible sigh. He resorted to fidgeting, raising the tension in the air between them before finally, Elsa broke it with an unsatisfied scoff.

"You're bluffing right now - "

"You wouldn't believe me if I even told you," he retorted, earning a haughty glare from Elsa.

She crossed her legs over one another and pursed her red lips briefly before challenging him. "Try me."

"...He told me, that the Winters...ordered the murders of the Lunanoffs - "

Elsa's limbs loosened up and her eyes began widening slowly in an stunned stare in response to the appalling news that she heard from Hans' mouth.

* * *

There was a loud chirping noise just outside of the large window of her study. Elsa broke out of her daze to turn her leather arm chair around to look for the source of the noise. Her shoulders drew back, relaxing at the sight of a fluffy brown-black sparrow that had taken up residence on a long tree branch just outside of the window. It hopped across the branch, spotting her and chirping a few more times before flying off into the darkening evening sky. At that time, Elsa somberly lowered her gaze and sighed.

Her eyes closed tightly, as if she was experiencing a great pain, as she heard Hans' voice echo inside of her head.

 _"- and your parents directly ordered the murder of Manny Lunanoff when they found out that he was alive, but in the midst of it all, they killed Night and Katherine Overland - his bodyguards…"_

Elsa drew in a soft, shuddering inhale as she reopened her eyes slowly.

 _"...they were Jack's parents, Elsa. Do you see why I believe this man that doesn't even show his face? He seems to know everything about the three most powerful families in Burgess - the Lunanoffs, Pitchiners, and Winters...even details about Jack since he's the shield that protects you. It...honestly scared me too, but I'm sure that the fact that scares you the most is that Jack has betrayed you when it all comes down to it."_

She shook her head, trying to rid herself of these dark thoughts. After Hans told her everything, she had quietly excused herself to have some time alone in her room - to think. However, for the longest time, Elsa could remember that she actually could not think. She could not fathom the possibility that Jack - the one person she trusted more than anything - had actually been plotting to kill her. How long has this been going on? How long has she and him been living a lie? Was any part of their relationship real?

Even now, Elsa still tried to make sense of it all. It was a shocking, coincidental turn of events. She never knew that her parents would order such an heinous crime to be committed - must less against the Lunanoffs, who Elsa knew were old family friends of the Winters. In addition, to find out that the very people that were killed were none other than Jack's parents.

She bowed her head sullenly.

Her family was directly responsible for orphaning Jack since birth and for the disappearance of the Lunanoffs household.

 _'...Is this what you've been keeping from me, Jack? Were you trying to protect me from it…? Or is it that you were trying to conceal it from me to exact your revenge?'_

* * *

His blue eyes widened in petrified terror as he felt the warm splatters of blood start running down the smooth planes of his pale face. He shifted his attention to the bloody knife that Sera held in her hand briefly, before averting his attention back to Hans, who promptly began to gurgle and cough. The clean-cut young man choked, dropping the knife he held and holding his slashed throat with his bare hands as he desperately tried to stop the blood.

Jack flinched as he was doused in more wild sprays of blood that came from Hans' throat as he slowly fell to his knees in front of the bed. The white haired man knew that it was already the end for Hans. Sera had cut his neck deep enough to cut through an artery.

"Oh Hans," she whispered lovingly, her feminine voice silky smooth as she walked around him. Sera chuckled at the sight of Hans desperately clutching the end of the bed, as if he was reaching out to Jack for help, even though the other man was incapacitated. "You could have been a good lover, but in the end you fell short of my expectations." She leaned down and whispered in his ear in a teasing tone. "I gave you a chance to do the right thing - to redeem yourself - but you chose to betray me in the end." Her voice dropped to low, dangerous whisper. "You're filthy _scum_ \- you're not even worth keeping around like Jack."

A sharp, frightened gasp escaped past Jack's lips when he saw Sera grab a fistful of Han's combed back auburn hair and pull his head back. She held the knife to his throat and snickered immaturely.

"Goodbye Hans."

As soon as she began hacking away at his neck, Jack squeezed his eyes closed tightly and turned his head away, shuddering violently as he heard the stomach churning noises of flesh tearing and bones cracking. He did not dare open his eyes to witness the violent murder. It was sick and an unimaginable way to die. Even though he was well aware of Hans' devious plot to overtake Winters Financials and his involvement with the mercenaries that had invaded the estate a few weeks ago, this was a gruesome way to go and it was undeserving.

Jack kept his head turned away, but cracked open his eyes slightly when he heard the noises stop. He trembled when after a moment of deafening silence, he felt a weight on the edge of the bed. A growing lump of fear formed in his throat and he desperately attempted to swallow it away as it began to give him more discomfort than he already was in.

"Hey," he heard Sera's voice just beside him ear. He flinched when he felt her affectionately nuzzle the side of his face. "You like me, don't you Jack?"

The young man failed to answer in coherent words, only resorting to choking out heaving gasps when he heard the unmistakeable dull thump of a head falling to the ground. He recoiled when he felt her bloodied hand touch his face.

"Don't worry. I won't kill you, like I did with Hans. He did something... _undesirable_ and tried to disobey me in the end." A light chortle. "It would have never worked out between us."

As she straddled his lap, Jack did not dare look over to where Hans once stood - afraid of witnessing the grotesque scene that he had heard earlier. He felt a pounding headache grow in intensity with each passing second - brought on by the violent, unsettling murder. Jack did not resist or react to Sera bringing him in for a gentle hug.

"It'll be okay," she purred, holding his head against her bloodied chest. "I know you won't abandon me...or betray me. I'll make sure that you don't." Sera reached out to the side, where the box of half-eaten macarons sat near the headboard of the bed. She opened it up and pulled out a perfect, light blue macaron. A loving smile decorated her dollish face as she held it to Jack's lips. "Eat it," she told him.

And without the slightest bit of hesitation, Jack parted his lips and ate it.

* * *

A bright red slash was drawn across one of the warehouses on the map of downtown Arendelle, joining the dozens of other red marks that signified that Jack was not there. Toothiana took a slight step back to look at the overall view and sighed a little.

"We've narrowed it down to some of the older warehouse buildings that are out of business, but we still have more than half of the city blocks in the industrial district to search and we're on the fifth day of the search," she commented, turning around to face Sandy. "...Is there anyway you could narrow the search field? This is taking way too much time. Even if we had another person out there looking for Jack, I'd estimate that we'd still take another one to two weeks to thoroughly search this area."

Sadly, Sandy shook his head, a slight frown of disappointment crossing his face. He signed something to Toothiana quickly and the green haired woman let out another sigh.

"I know what Hans told us, but still - " she glanced at Elsa, who was sitting quietly at the other side of the parlor room. Her voice fell to a murmur, "I'm sure we all want some answers from Jack. Even if it seems like he really did betray all of us."

Elsa turned her head slightly away from the two Guardians. She looked distraught, which Toothiana quickly picked up on.

"Miss Winters," she said, approaching her cautiously. She knelt down in front of the platinum blond and looked up at her troubled expression, studying it for a while before speaking. "...I know it must be difficult to come to terms with what you've heard about Jack. We really don't want to believe it either, but it's still not fair to pass judgement on him without getting his side of the story first - right? For all we know, Hans could have been lying."

She knew that the young heiress was livid ever since Hans' sudden visit two days ago. Toothiana did not blame her. It must be tougher on her than it was on her and the rest of the Guardians. Jack had been her best friend, crush, and now her lover - only to find out that all of it was probably a huge lie.

"...We spoke...on the day he disappeared," Elsa said gingerly. She looked down at her laced hands in her lap and then resorted to smooth out the lines on her black leggings. "He was just joking around one minute...being plain, old Jack, then all of a sudden his personality just - changed. He actually looked sad and when I questioned him about it, he tried to avoid the subject. This happened once before too...he never really answered me directly." She let out a disappointed scoff, partly at herself for being naive and partly at Jack for lying. "I was being stupid for thinking that he would tell me whatever was bothering him."

"Miss Winters - "

"How could anyone possibly say something like that out loud? Especially when the person that's asking you about it is the very person you need to kill?" Elsa felt the prickling sting of tears in her eyes. She felt frustrated and angry. "...The world really is filthy, isn't it?" she let out in a hushed, broken whisper.

Toothiana looked up at her with concern, with her pink lips slightly parted and her eyebrows knitted together. Her pink eyes flickered down to Elsa's hands, then back up to her face. "Miss Winters...if you want to give up on Jack...we will understand. We still want to find and question him, but if you wish to give up…" She saw a look of incredulity upon Elsa's face, staring back down at her. The older woman drew in a soft breath and asked, "do you wish to give up on him?"

"The logical answer would be 'yes,' wouldn't it…?" Elsa asked with a soft scoff. A wry chuckle escaped her as she brought a hand up to her head. "He's deliberately lied to me, kept things from me, aided my enemies, plotted to kill me - the person he's supposed to protect...lucky me, I got stuck with the worst bodyguard ever."

Confused with her answer, Toothiana blinked several times at Elsa, trying to get a sense of what she was trying to say.

"But...I won't give up on him. He may be the worst bodyguard...but…" She thought back to all endearing moments she spent with Jack over the years. She refused to believe all those good memories were faked - they just couldn't be. His tender hugs, his warm kisses, the way he was concerned about her beyond what a bodyguard should be concerned with, the way that whenever he made her cry, he would always be the one to make her smile again -

"...He's also my best friend and my boyfriend...and I can't give up on him because of that." Elsa sniffled, quickly wiping away her loose tears. She raised her head, a determined look in her glossy blue eyes. "Jack may have indeed betrayed me, but I'm not giving up because I deserve a proper explanation from that jerk."

Toothiana stared at her, mouth slightly agape at her stubborn, but resolute declaration. She eventually broke into a gentle smile and nodded her head in agreement. "A good answer, Miss Winters." She patted Elsa's knee and stood up straight. With a reassuring smile, she held out her hand towards the heiress and said, "let's go. We can aid North and Bunnymund with their search for Jack."

"H - Huh? Really?" Elsa hesitantly took the other woman's hand and stood up from her seat. With a raised eyebrow she inquired, "I thought the industrial district was too dangerous for someone like me to go to, especially at night."

"I can protect you, Miss Winters, should a problem arise," Toothiana replied with confidence. She let out what sounded like a relieved sigh. "I would have taken you out earlier to aid in the search, but I just needed to hear your decision regarding Jack." The green haired woman smiled at her and turned her head to look back at Sandy. "Sandy, you can hold down the fort until we get back, right?"

The portly, short man nodded in response.

"Let's go, Miss Winters," Toothiana said as she turned back towards the blond. "I have a spare key to Jack's car. We can take that to go look for him."

* * *

Anna pulled her knees up to her chest and leaned her chin against them as she blankly stared at her phone screen. Her thumb hovered over the red 'delete' button on the display next to Hans' name. After his abrupt appearance and after sharing a tearful break-up kiss, Anna knew that it was for the best that they go their separate ways - a clean break-up.

She sniffled, wiping away her loose tears with the back of her hand as she deleted Hans' name and number from her phone. This was not the first break-up Anna has gone through, but it certainly was her most heartbreaking. Although the time she had spent with Hans was short, she treasured each and every moment that they spent together. She loved him and what tore her apart on the inside was that she still had no idea as to why they suddenly lost the spark that started their relationship. At this point, she was not even sure if they could be friends, which she would have also gladly accepted.

With a defeated sigh, she tossed her phone aside on her bed and rested her forehead against her knees, folding her arms around her head as an added comfort. Her heart ached and she wished that she could find some relief from it all, a distraction of some sort -

A light 'ping' interrupted her thoughts. Anna, recognizing it to be her texting ringtone, raised her head to peer at the phone screen, curious to see as to who it was that was calling her this late at night. She reached over to grab the small device and her dull, blue, swollen eyes widened just slightly when she saw that it was Kristoff.

 _"r u free anytime next week?"_

She tapped in a reply for him. _"y?"_ she sent him, followed by a confused face emoji.

 _"Sven wants to c u :)"_

Anna heard a soft 'swooshing' noise, indicating that another text has been sent, and immediately she stifled down a snorting giggle when she saw the blurry selfie that Kristoff took. His mammoth-sized dog had apparently jumped on him at the exact moment he pressed the shutter button which resulted in a blurry portion of his face at the far bottom corner of the photo and his dog's face taking up most of the screen.

He immediately sent another selfie with him scowling at Sven while the dog remained happily oblivious lying on top of his master.

 _"dam dog…"_

The strawberry blond stifled down another giggle, only to eventually give in and hold her stomach to let out a boisterous laugh. She fell onto her sides, lying on top of her queen-sized bed as she struggled to type back a reply amidst her laughter.

 _"LOL, it looks like he really likes you."_

Another _'swoosh'_ -

 _"yeah, hes a little spoiled brat. i know he'll love u."_

 _"really now? and how can you be so sure?"_

Anna felt her cheeks flare up when she read Kristoff's next reply.

 _"he usually ends up liking the same people that I like."_

Even though his reply hardly had any romantic undertones to it, just the mere thought that Kristoff viewed her in a positive light was enough to send a flurry of butterflies to go fluttering around in her stomach. Anna was not quite sure why she valued his attention more so than her other friends, but she quickly caught herself before she started overthinking about it too much.

She sat up straight on her bed and quickly tapped in a reply.

 _"haha. okay then, I'm free next week on Saturday? hbu? :)"_

 _"Saturday's fine with me. c u then. :)"_

 _"can't wait!"_

After entering in a flood of cutesy, animated emojis expressing excitement, Anna sent her message and immediately turned off her phone. She sighed in content, suddenly feeling happy even though a part of her was still feeling down about Hans. Frowning at herself, Anna quickly shook her head, trying to rid herself of the depressive thoughts.

"No, no, no, no," she muttered to herself under her breath. She told herself to move on, spend more time with the people that actually mattered in her life, and forget about those that left it. However -

She furrowed her brow at the thought of the very last time she saw Hans - the way his eyes seemed to almost plead for help from behind that car window right before he was driven away. It haunted the dark crevices of her mind and she could not seem to shake the image away. The entire thing left an ominous, sour taste in her mouth.

Anna looked towards the clock at her bedside. The glaring red digital readout displayed that it was nearly midnight. For a while she sat there on her bed, contemplating and wondering what she should do to ease her worries.

* * *

The dark blue _Audi A6_ roared lowly as it rolled into the Winters' estate driveway. Elsa sat in the passenger seat, completely livid at how their search had turned up no clues leading to Jack. She thought that with the long hours of searching and driving around the dodgy industrial district, would have turned up something. The reality of the situation dawned on her that night.

Toothiana parked the car in front of the large mansion and turned off the engine. She sighed, leaning back against the black leather seat. For a while, the two women remained silently in the car for the longest time. "...We'll...try again tomorrow, Miss Winters," she said softly. Her pink eyes flickered over to Elsa, who bowed her head, letting the brim of the beige newsboy hat she wore obscure her eyes from Toothiana's gaze.

Elsa sniffled softly, bringing up her arm to quickly wipe away at her nose. The soft sleeve of one of Jack's old plaid shirts still carried the familiar alpine scent of his body spray. It brought her some comfort, wearing it as a disguise as she and Toothiana searched around the shady neighborhoods in and around the industrial district tonight. However, obviously not enough comfort as Jack physically being beside her would bring.

"Yes...of course," she muttered out a response. "Tomorrow…"

"I'm sorry," Toothiana apologized with a bow of her head. "I know you want to search for Jack, but even with you disguised as a male...that part of downtown Arendelle is not a place you'd want to be at this time of night. North and Bunnymund have been searching for him around the clock and still are. We'll find him," she told him with the best amount of confidence she could muster. Her pink eyes averted down somberly. Even Toothiana knew that her own morale was quickly plummeting.

By tomorrow, it would be nearly a week since Jack's mysterious disappearance. Although she hated how pessimistic Bunnymund was with the situation, she knew that there was a good possibility that he was right. She began to wonder if Jack really was still in the industrial district and if she had to be the bearer of bad news for Elsa if they end up not being able to find a single trace of him anywhere. Destroying the young woman's heart was not something she was looking forward to.

"It's okay," Elsa answered softly, tightly clutching at the rough denim pants she wore. Her hands shook a little from the tension in her muscles.

"Miss Winters - "

"You're all trying your best - and now I'm going to try my best too." Elsa pursed her lips tightly as she raised her head to look over at Toothiana. Her blue eyes were swimming in tears that have yet to fall from them. "Jack has always protected me and even though he may have betrayed me now, I still want to return the favor." She held her head down and watched as her vision blurred. "I can't do that if we can't find him, r - right?"

The green haired woman flashed an endearing smile towards her and pulled out a handkerchief from the breast pocket of her black weskit. She leaned over and patted dry Elsa's cheeks and eyes gently, at the same time offering up words of reassurance. "You're right, Miss Winters. You need to return the favor." As she handed her the handkerchief, her smile deepened, watching the young heiress smile wryly as she dabbed away at her damp eyes. "Jack would appreciate it."

The blond nodded, smiling with her lips tightly pressed together in modesty. "So then...tomorrow?" she asked, getting out of the car.

"Tomorrow," Toothiana reaffirmed. She closed the car door and followed Elsa up towards the mansion. Once inside, she placed a hand on the young woman's shoulder and told her, "go get some rest. We'll go out again early in the morning."

Elsa nodded once, taking the older woman's advice and deciding that getting some shut eye would be the best option for her. As she ascended the stairs towards the bedrooms, she stopped halfway when she heard Anna's voice.

"Elsa?" her younger sister called for her softly, emerging from the dimly lit hallway off to the side. She had a worried look in her azure eyes, automatically causing concern for Elsa as well.

"Anna," she addressed her with a furrow of her thin eyebrows. "That's wrong? I thought you would be in bed by now."

"I just...had something on my mind, concerning Hans."

Anna waited until both Elsa and Toothiana, who had also seemed to have taken an interest in what she had to say, came upstairs and stood before her. The red head fiddled with the loose strings on her bathrobe for a while. " _Uh_ \- Miss Toothiana...could I have a private chat with my sister for a while? If you don't mind - "

"Sorry Anna," Elsa interjected suddenly. She saw the look of confusion in her sister's eyes and she quickly explained herself. "Since you brought the topic up…" she looked over to Toothiana, then back at Anna, "we should probably use this time to warn you about Hans."

"Elsa - "

"I know you're not going to like what I have to say, but it's important, I know you're still head over heels in love with him - "

" - _It's over_."

Perplexed, Elsa blinked at Anna with widen blue eyes. "O - Over?" she stammered, caught off-guard by her sudden declaration. "What do you mean "over"?"

Anna looked off to the side, her expression forlorn and dismal. "I ended things with Hans today."

"...What?" Elsa breathed out incredulously, carefully reaching out to her sister to offer some support and comfort. She held Anna in her arms, to which she responded by leaning into the blond's warm embrace. "I thought you two - "

"Loved each other...? I don't know," the young girl muttered, followed by a mirthless chuckle. "It feels like I was the only one in love." Her voice dropped a little in volume into a sad mumble. "I was the one that chased him around the entire time like a lovestruck idiot. ...Pretty stupid, huh?" She raised her head a little to look up at her older sister, as if looking for some verbal or physical sign of agreement.

"Love makes us that way - unfortunately," Elsa replied with a somber smile. She dropped her gaze a little. "I know you loved him a lot."

"Yeah…"

" - I'm sorry it didn't work out."

Anna chuckled dryly. "Me too."

"Are you going to be okay?" Elsa asked, pulling away slightly to get a better look at her little sister's face. Although there was a bit of pain embedded within her usual bubbly smile, Elsa felt at ease when she saw that Anna was doing her best to not let the situation bother her too much.

"I will be," the strawberry blond reassured her. "Just...need some time, you know?"

"I understand."

The younger girl then turned her attention to Toothiana, then back to Elsa, inquiring curiously and hesitantly, "what did you want to tell me...about Hans?" Her eyebrows lowered slightly in suspicion. "...Is it something bad?" When she saw that Elsa was still being unsure of how to engage the topic, Anna said in confidence, "we broke up already, Elsa. Whatever it is that you wanted to tell me, it won't affect me as much as you think it might."

Elsa drew out a quiet breath. "...Then...were you aware of Hans' real intentions…?"

" - Real intentions for what?"

"For - dating you."

Regret slowly crept up Elsa's throat like the aftertaste of bitter coffee. It was unpleasant watching Anna struggle visibly to keep her emotions in check. She knew that this topic had been a sensitive one ever since Anna began seeing Hans.

"I know you think I'm questioning your dating choices - again," Elsa muttered dishearteningly, "but Hans came to me the other day...telling me everything. He had every intention on taking over our family's corporation through you," she spoke slowly, cautiously making sure that she did not offend or agitate her sister.

"He... _was_ ambitious - one of the things that I liked about him, ironically," Anna laughed wryly. She suddenly let out a grieving sigh and buried her face in her hands. "Stupid...I should have known something was wrong when he wouldn't even kiss me or initiate anything. - I should've known," she repeated in a hushed whisper.

Elsa gave her time to cool down, to calmly process the information that she had been given.

Once Anna did, she relaxed her shoulders slightly and asked, "...then why didn't Hans go through with it?"

"He told me that his older brother, Aaron, died. He felt guilty for his death, feeling as if he was the cause of it," she replied morosely.

"Well...was he?" Anna anxiously awaited an answer from Elsa, but when she did not receive one, she pushed another question, "was it after your birthday party?"

"I don't know. He didn't say anything in detail after that." The blond quirked up an eyebrow at Anna's seemingly wild guess. "Why do you think it was after my birthday party?"

Anna let out a sigh, hugging herself as she muttered, "Hans left so abruptly that night. He looked really out of it, asking me where Sera was. At the time, I was hurt because it looked like he didn't really care about me, but...if he was worried about his brother at the time, I could see why. ...That's horrible," she murmured softly the last part. "Even when we broke up, he looked at me like he was so worried about something as Sera took him to see his father - "

"Wait - " Toothiana raised a hand, stopping the young girl. "There seems to be a recurring name here - _Sera_." She narrowed her pink eyes at the two sisters and said with a level of suspicion. "...Was Sera with Hans the day that he came over uninvited, Miss Winters?"

Elsa blinked, a slow look of realization dawning on her. "Yes," she breathed out, eyes widening. "Sera...she was there. She nearly killed Jack if it wasn't for Hans and I intervening. I was about to give him and her a piece of my mind for threatening him, but Sera apologized - rather generously at that."

Toothiana cupped her chin with her slender hand. The large gold plate earrings that she wore shook as she lowered her head, deep in thought. Her vibrant pink lips pursed briefly before she spoke. "We should shift our attention over to her. From what I've witnessed with Hans, he will be of no use to us in finding Jack. He's unhinged and his responses seemed genuine from when he spoke with Elsa. We've gotten all that we needed to know from him."

"Then...what happens now?" Anna asked, furrowing her brow and darting her eyes back and forth between Elsa and Toothiana, wondering if one of them will have a plan of action. "Should...I call Hans and ask where Sera is?"

"No," the green haired woman cut in sharply. "It might only tip her off. If she is indeed the culprit and Jack's with her, then she might harm him or kill him off to cover her own tracks. We know nothing of this woman, so it's best to proceed with caution. Miss Winters -" Toothiana addressed the blond. "I know you want to aid in our search, but please go to your corporation on Friday as per usual."

"But - "

"Going to the corporation every Friday is your routine. I will act as your stand-in bodyguard, but you must not show that anything is wrong. If the papers that Hans brought over are legitimate, then it could mean that there is someone within your corporation is paying Sera and approving those small, fraudulent transactions under the radar."

Elsa did not like the idea because a part of her longed to continue the search for Jack, but she knew that Toothiana did have a point. She saw those odd transactions - the ones Aaron had been studying before his untimely death. Sera was their main suspect in Jack's disappearance, but she was small within the grand scheme of things. Someone was paying her off and taking in some money for themselves - and Elsa was determined to find out who it was that was trying to harm her and her corporation.

She removed the old newsboy hat, releasing her platinum blond locks. Smoothly, she pushed her hair back with one hand and set her eyes in a stone cold glare of determination. She had an idea of just who could approve such transactions without anyone else suspecting it.

"I'll go," she reaffirmed to Toothiana. "I'll have to have a word with the senior accountant - _Guinevere_."

* * *

Elsa patted her neat hair bun for the fifth time. She felt anxious all throughout the ride towards the corporation and even now, her heart was drumming away loudly inside of her chest as she rode the elevator to the top floors.

It was nerve wracking to say the least. If she was the current CEO of her corporation, this talk would probably be a lot easier on her nerves, but for now she wasn't and Guinevere was someone with years of experience with her current job. While Elsa was just a newbie fresh out of grad school that had yet to inherit her father's corporation.

When the elevator dinged and the doors slid open to her desired floor, Elsa stepped out, taking another deep breath before proceeding to the senior accountant's office. She finally reached it and she briefly held a loose fist over the door, a moment's hesitation in her body motion before she set her jaw in confidence and knocked.

"Come in," she heard a feminine voice call out from the room sweetly.

Elsa opened the door, stepping inside the spacious office. In one corner of the room, she noticed Guinevere's secretary, busily tapping away at his computer and occasionally flickering his eyes over at her above his square spectacles.

Guinevere, herself, immediately stood up at the sight of Elsa and exclaimed, "oh my, Miss Winters! To what do I owe the pleasure?" She rushed over to her, to whatever speed her steep stilettos allowed her, and smiled broadly. "Would you like some coffee? I can send Arthur over there to fetch us some from the employee lounge - "

"No, no, it's fine," Elsa nervously laughed, waving her hand. She shot a look over to Arthur and then focused her attention back on the stunning blond accountant. "Could...I have a word with you - alone?" She tried not to sound hostile.

"Of course," Guinevere complied, glancing over at her secretary. "Arthur, why don't you be a doll and fetch me some coffee down the street?" She handed him her wallet as a whole. "Get something for yourself as well, hm? On me." Once the bespectacled young man excused himself, the room grew silent after the sound of the door clicking shut. "Now then," she began, smiling sweetly at Elsa as she strode back to her desk, the slightest bit of a sway in her hips. "What is it that you wanted to discuss with me, Miss Winters? Surely it must be something of importance for you to warrant such privacy - "

" - Are you someone I can trust?"

Drawing back at Elsa's sudden statement, Guinevere blinked several times before stifling down a laugh. "Miss Winters, why are you asking such a question? And so suddenly for that matter. Isn't the answer obvious?"

The young woman held her ground, pursing her lips and tightening her fists by her side as she kept an unwavering gaze locked on the blond woman.

Guinevere took notice and her gaze hardened slightly as she laid her blue eyes on the future CEO. "If you're accusing me of something so brazenly, Miss Winters, I'd like for you to get straight to the point. "

"Are you the one that gave Aaron financial records of the corporation?"

A light chuckle escaped past her ruby red lips. Lightheartedly, the older woman shrugged her shoulders in a relaxed manner and took a seat in her large, plush leather seat. "Is that what this is? ...Aaron was a hardworking young man - pity of what happened to him. He came to me late Friday night just as I was leaving the office about those records. He found those records on his own. I didn't comment on them since they are classified documents in the first place."

Elsa raised an eyebrow. "Did he come to you about those odd transactions from the corporate account?"

Guinevere rested her elbows on the hard oak desk, laced up her hands, and leaned her chin on top of her knuckles. She smiled coyly at the young woman, almost to the point of sneering. "I will tell you what I have told Aaron -" he blue eyes narrowed dangerously, "you have no reason to go through the financials of the corporation in such detail. Nothing in there concerns you in the very slightest."

Feeling offended and belittled, Elsa curtly replied back, "it _is_ my business. It's _my_ corporation after all - "

" - You mean _your father's._ "

The young heiress took a step back, faltering in her speech. She felt herself shrink back underneath Guinevere's hawk-like eyes. A part of her began to wonder if coming here by herself was a mistake. Maybe if Toothiana had come along with her, she would feel a bit more confident.

Seeing as how she managed to strike a nerve, the older blond woman smirked and stated, "I know how to do my job, Miss Winters. Your father even trusted me dearly. The question now is this - do you know how to do yours?"

The pressure of following in her father's footsteps and becoming a successful CEO like him was something that always haunted Elsa. It was something that she managed to suppress, but it was still her Achilles' whenever it was brought up. "O - Of course I do," she stammered, suddenly feeling inadequate and nervous.

" _Hm_ \- actions speak louder than words," Guinevere chuckled softly, almost in a mocking manner.

Elsa's breath shook as she tried to keep her breathing in check. She definitely did not expect Guinevere to respond to her in such a manner, so soon into the conversation. She hadn't even gotten to the part that she wanted to discuss - information pertaining to Sera and possibly about Jack as well.

Seeing as how she had inflicted enough damage on the young girl, Guinevere waved her hand and said nonchalantly, "I apologize, Miss Winters, but I'm an incredibly busy woman. I'll have to cut our lovely conversation short." She giggled a little behind closed, smirking lips, waving goodbye to the young woman.

Her face wrinkled into a visible frown as she sharply turned on her heel and left the office. Elsa was beyond embarrassed and angry with how the conversation went and wanted nothing more than to leave as soon as possible. However, before she could, the platinum blond stopped just before the door when she heard the senior accountant's aggravating final parting words.

"You may inherit the corporation from your father, but that doesn't mean that you will become a successful CEO like your father was. Keep that in mind the next time you wish to speak to me." Guinevere suppressed an amused chuckle when she saw Elsa quickly opening the door, then slamming it shut behind her. It was a victory on her part - to rile up the young woman and let her play right into her hands. However, she knew that the situation was going to get worse unless she stopped it now.

"How irritating," she muttered, taking out her smartphone and dialing in a number. "Like mother, like daughter..." A lone, exasperated sigh escaped past her blood red lips as she held the phone to her ear, waiting for the ringing to stop. " _Astutely_ irritating - _just like Idun_."

The ringing stopped as someone picked up on the other end of the line.

Guinevere's demeanor changed, an adoring smile painting itself across her beautiful face. "...It's cold."

* * *

"How did it go, Miss Winters?" Toothiana asked as she met up with Elsa in the spacious, busy lobby. She grew nervous at the clearly distressed expression the young woman wore on her face and the long strides she was taking as she exited the corporate building. The short woman tried to keep her pace, but eventually started to fall behind when they reached the underground parking structure. "Miss Winters!" she called out after her.

Elsa stopped walking at her brisk pace, freezing to the spot. She held her fists tightly to her sides as she glared down at her square-toed dress shoes. From behind, she heard Toothiana running up to her. When she finally caught up to her, Elsa kept her eyes glued on the ground and spoke with a trembling voice.

"...I messed up."

"What - ?"

"I messed up on our only lead to find Sera and because of that...we might never be able to find Jack." Elsa raised her arm up to her eyes, angrily wiping away at the tears that formed. "I can't do anything good for him - all I'm good at is hurting him and pushing him away."

"You can't say things like that, Miss Winters," Toothiana said, quickly producing the same handkerchief that she gave her the previous night. She helped dab away at her tears without ruining too much of her makeup. "...I know for a fact that Jack enjoys your company, whether he gets hurt or not."

"But he does get hurt," Elsa pushed on sadly, feeling Toothiana gently grab her hand and guide her over to the car. "There's only so much that a person can take before they decide that it's enough. Bunnymund said it before - it's a miracle that Jack even puts up with a person like me."

The green haired woman sighed at the mention of Bunnymund's name. "That man is as pessimistic as they come, Miss Winters. Don't take what he says to heart." When they arrived at the car, Toothiana seated the young woman on the hood of the dark blue sedan and smiled gently at her. "Being hurt isn't a great feeling...especially if the person that hurts you is the one you love - trust me, I know."

Elsa curiously looked at the short bodyguard, sensing the sudden solemn atmosphere that surrounded her. "Were you...hurt by the person you loved, Toothiana?" she asked cautiously.

She gave a wry laugh. "I suppose...although I don't love him anymore - the scars are still there and it still hurts from time to time when I remember it."

The platinum blond dropped her head sadly. "Then Jack… - "

"You two are different, Miss Winters. Much different from what I went through - yes, you two hurt each other, but you understand each other. You both make an effort to keep your relationship going and that's what's important. ...Elsa - " Toothiana addressed her by her name, her tone softening up, "...being in love with someone doesn't mean that you just enjoy their company. Loving someone means that even if you're sacrificing something you value in the process, you don't regret it if it's for the sake of their happiness."

Elsa bowed her head pensively. She remembered Jack saying something similar, only to have her fire back a retort because at the time she did not understand why he would so willingly sacrifice himself for her. Now she could understand what he meant because right now, she felt like giving up everything just to get him back safe. "...I want him back," she whispered, tightly holding her knees in her hands. "Regardless of what Hans said about him and what we suspect - I refuse to believe that those moments I've spent with Jack are fake."

A reverent smile passed over Toothiana's face as she backed up a little, letting Elsa get back on her feet. She could feel the renewed confidence from the young woman and she excitedly clasped her small hands together.

"I know you wanted me to stay at the corporation to stick to my normal schedule, but I want to help find Jack. He's my boyfriend and my bodyguard - I want to give it my all in finding him and bringing him back safely, so please - I ask you for your help."

The green haired woman nodded, smiling broadly as she pulled out the car keys from the pocket of her dress pants. She spun them around her index finger and caught them in one fell swoop. "Of course, Miss Winters. You don't need to say it twice."

* * *

A single puff of white vapor flowed out past Elsa's parted lips as she clutched at the open end of the loose, thick flannel jacket. It was a colder night than yesterday, but this hardly did anything to impede her and Toothiana's search of the industrial district.

"Stay close, Miss Winters," the petite woman whispered as they passed by a dingy dive bar. Out in front were a group of men, obviously having a drink too many after a long day working in a factory. They laughed boisterously as Toothiana and Elsa passed by, almost unnoticed -

The blond drew in a sharp gasp when one of the men stepped out in front of her. He stumbled a little, being shoved by his friend and paid absolutely no attention to Elsa, who started to panic after being cut-off from Toothiana by the mass of drunken men.

"Uhm - excuse me," she piped up, trying her best to disguise her feminine voice.

"Huh?" he grunted, staring down at her in an incredulous manner. "Speak up, kid," he said, giving Elsa's shoulder a light, but aggressive shove. "What do 'ya want me to do?" he asked, slurring his words.

"I - !" The blond gasped sharply when she felt the man cup her chin. She felt a petrifying terror overcome her body, the same one she felt when Edwin had assaulted her. Elsa tried to draw back, cringing at the mixture of the man's musky body scent and booze.

"Hm - " he said, studying her carefully. "You...got a pretty little face for a guy," he drawled, attracting the attention of his friends.

"Maybe he ain't a guy," one of them snickered. He grabbed a hold of the collar of Elsa's jacket, teasing the idea that they strip her down to see her real gender.

She found that she could not move her body. A cold, icy fear gripped her as she began relapsing back to her encounter with Edwin. Elsa shook, opening her mouth to cry for help when she felt them tugging off her jacket. However, at the sound of Toothiana's voice, the men stopped and relief washed over her.

"Hey - what are you filthy swines doing?" Toothiana spat at, standing before a group of particularly massive men. She stood her ground however, even when the one that held Elsa released her and stormed over to the short woman.

"Who the fuck are you calling 'filthy swine,' bitch?"

Elsa used this time to run from the other men and make it safely to Toothiana, who protectively held out her arm to the side and ushered the young woman to stand behind her. She warily stared at the men, who were all riled up on alcohol and looking more than ready to back their friend up. "Tooth - " she whispered under her breath, taking a few steps back, implying that they make a run for it. The situation looked extremely dangerous, but Elsa saw that the older woman was not budging at all.

"Why don't you apologize and maybe we'll let you off the hook?" he said, giving them a lopsided, toothy grin. When he saw that Toothiana did not break her glare on him, his grin immediately turned into a scowl. In a drunken spark of anger, he pulled back his arm and aimed a punch directly at her head.

Elsa feared the worst, not having any exposure to Toothiana's fighting skills and not sure of how the older woman could square off against such burly, heavy set men, but what she saw shocked her.

Toothiana stepped off to the side at the very last minute, before the fist could connect to her head. As soon as she dodged it, she kicked her leg out, effectively tripping him, and causing him to fall to his knees. When he was brought down on all fours, she brought her leg up and down sharply upon the base of the man's head, knocking him out cold.

His friend, the one that suggested that they strip Elsa, grit his teeth and rushed up to Toothiana while she had her back turned towards him, intended to land a surprise attack.

"You bitch - !"

She spun on the square heel of her black and gold boots, and landed a kick to his sides. As he stumbled, having the wind knocked out of him, she kicked him hard in the knees, and watched with a pleased smile as he fell onto the ground, writhing in pain. "You're a little too early if you had any hopes of matching up against me," she declared, standing up straight and glaring at the rest of the men, who seemed to be scared of her with how easily she took down their two friends. "I wouldn't want to get serious with the likes of you and I'm sure you wouldn't like that either - unless you all want to end up like your two friends here."

Elsa stood there, mouth agape, until Toothiana turned back towards her and wrapped an arm around her lithe body protectively. She kept looking back at the men, who did not dare follow them, then back down at Toothiana. "I - I didn't know you could do that…" she commented, amazed with how someone of her stature and age could take down guys like them.

"Please, Miss Winters," the petite woman said modestly, "you give me too much credit. It's not really a challenge dealing with drunks. They did most of the damage to themselves." She giggled lightly as they turned a corner. "Besides, I'm a bodyguard just like Jack. Just because I'm older or a woman doesn't mean that I'm unable to do the same things that he does. I wouldn't have brought you out here if I had no means of protecting you. Now then - "

When they were a few more steps down the dark street, Toothiana stopped and produced a folded up map of the industrial district that she had printed out. There were a few red 'X's slashed through some of the buildings and blocks, indicating the areas that they had already searched.

"There's an old brewery right on that block in front of us," she pointed off into the darkness. With no street lights present, Elsa found it hard to see anything, but she could make out the silhouette of an old building against the well-lit skyscrapers of downtown Arendelle in the distance. Toothiana slipped the map back into the inner pocket of her black winter coat. "We left it for one of our last search areas since the building itself is so old and prone to collapsing. There's not much of a chance that anyone could hide in there unless they want to play Russian roulette with the building collapsing, but it's best to be thorough with our search."

Elsa drew in a soft breath and nodded her head. She pulled down on the newsboy cap she wore and muttered under her breath, "let's check it out then."

As the two women approached the hauntingly large brewery, Elsa felt a chill run up and down her spine at the mere sight of the looming building. Much of the roof had large, gaping holes in it. Many of the walls had come down and the wind howled as it hit the decrepit structure. It looked exactly like the buildings in the horror movies that Anna always marathoned on Halloween night.

Toothiana sighed as they walked into the cracked and broken parking lot out front. She placed a hand on her hip, the gold bangles around her wrist clinking together softly from the movement. "We would have liked to send North or Bunny to search this place, but with how weak this building has become, Sandy insisted that I'm a better candidate since I'm 'lighter'." She scoffed under her breath as she turned to face Elsa. "I don't want to separate from you, Miss Winters, but with how big this site is, we may need to."

Elsa saw her reaching around her back and pulling out a black handgun. She gulped as she took the heavy weapon in her hands.

"I know you never had formal training, but Jack told me that he taught you how to pull the trigger at least. Don't fire unless it's necessary," Toothiana warned her. "It doesn't look like anyone's here, but just in case. Better to send you out by yourself armed than defenseless."

"Yes," the blond nodded quickly, taking heed to her warnings.

"I'll check the main brewery first, then the back entrance. It looks like that's the area with the most structural damage. You can take the bar area, Miss Winters. Most of the building there seems to be intact. We'll meet out back here within an hour so we could investigate the basement together."

Agreeing with the plan, Elsa followed Toothiana's guide and entered the bar together. The wooden door creaked loudly, the rusted hinges screeching as she opened the door. The bar was large, the room itself, even larger. Elsa assumed that this was where all the taste testing took place as she saw a bunch of unnamed bottles and broken glass scattered all over the wooden floorboards.

"Take your time searching in here," Toothiana whispered hastily. "I'll go on ahead to the brewery."

"Okay."

Elsa let out a shivering exhale as she watched the green haired woman disappear as she rounded a corner, leaving her all alone in the bar. She gazed upon display cabinets that lined the wall behind the bar. Many carried broken beer bottles, random jars, and beer pitchers. Elsa could hear the glass cracking and splitting underneath the soles of her black sneakers. About every other step, the floorboards groaned and creaked.

Very cautiously, Elsa walked around, inspecting the large room for anything that stood out or looked abnormal. She did not see anything too suspicious, aside from the occasional drifting cobwebs that fluttered in and out from where they dangled.

Just as she stepped near the bar to get a closer look at some of the cabinets, a floorboard gave way. Elsa let out a surprised scream, but did her best to calm herself down when she realized that it was just her foot that was caught in the gaping hole. Gasping for air from her sudden shock, the blond attempted to calm herself down and get out of the sticky situation.

As she almost managed to pull her foot out, she froze when she heard the sound of footsteps approaching her location. Elsa blinked, thinking that perhaps she made a mistake and heard something else, but she drew in a sharp breath when she heard the noise again.

Someone was coming towards her.

"...Tooth?" she called out in a soft voice. When she heard no answer, but only the sound of footsteps, she called out again, "Toothiana? Is that you?"

Her breath quickened as she sat there and saw just who it was that was approaching the bar. Although shrouded in a black silhouette, Elsa recognized the figure to be a woman, similar in height and body type as Toothiana, but certainly not her.

"Hmm, I thought I heard a noise," a light, feminine voice stated, walking towards Elsa.

The platinum blond crawled backwards, tugging and pulling on her caught foot before getting released. She scrambled onto her feet and watched with terrified eyes as the woman calmly approached her with a sinister aura around her.

"I was going to go see you, Elsa."

The blond shivered when the woman walked into a single beam of moonlight that came down from one of the holes in the ceiling, illuminating her face and allowing Elsa to see just who it was. Although she suspected her, Elsa still felt a bone chilling terror and shock when she saw that it was Sera.

The black haired woman chortled lightly, amused with Elsa's reaction upon seeing her. "I wonder what you're doing all the way out here?" She gasped, widening her gray eyes. "Could it be - ? You came for Jack?"

Elsa clenched her fists, tightening her hold around the handle of the gun as she asked the young woman, "...you have him?" she questioned her, trying not to let her voice tremble in fear.

"Maybe, maybe not," Sera giggled, pulling out a large hunting knife that was caked in coppery brown blood.

"Where is he…?"

"What - ?"

"Where is he!?" Elsa screamed, raising the gun and aiming it directly at the black haired woman's head. Her knuckles were a ghostly white as her finger hovered over the trigger. She bared her teeth, showing that she was serious about shooting her should she not answer her question.

Sera seemed unfazed however, and simply stared at her with a wide-eyed, innocent look. "Jack doesn't want to see you," she said calmly, grinning when she saw Elsa's shocked expression. Her smile deepened as she continued on. "Jack has no intentions of returning to you."

For a brief moment, Elsa heard what Hans had told her about Jack, but she quickly shook those thoughts out of her head. "You're lying," she said firmly, keeping the gun pointed at the young woman. "Jack would never say that about me."

Sera's gray eyes narrowed dangerously in spite as she suddenly spat out, "he doesn't even like you! He likes me! Don't you get it!?"

Elsa took a step back, wary of Sera's sudden maniacal outburst. She was clearly unhinged. Warily, Elsa stared at the knife in the other woman's hand and shivered at the sight of the dried blood. A part of her wondered if it belonged to Jack. "What did you do to him?" she asked, not sure if she would like the answer.

"I showered him in affection," the raven haired woman replied, giggling and blushing like a little schoolgirl in love. She held the knife close to her heart as she whispered, "Jack resisted at first, but he likes me now and we're going to spend our entire lives together!" She exclaimed happily, throwing her arms out wide, before proceeding to cough violently.

Elsa wondered if she had caught a cold from being dressed so skimpily, but then noticed a blistering rash covering her entire neck. She saw Sera scratching at it until it bled, but she seemed to pay no attention to the blood or to the pain. Her eyes fell lower and her breath hitched in her throat for a moment when she saw the bird necklace that she wore around her neck.

It looked incredibly similar to the one Elsa wore, but its head was raised up high.

"You…" Sera coughed again before raised her head to face her once more. She had dark circles underneath her eyes, a prime indication that she was ill. However, she displayed no sort of visible discomfort from it. A wide smirk decorated her face. "You...I'll give you a chance then."

The blue-eyed woman stood her ground, not answering or responding to her.

Sera giggled, almost crazily, with a wild look in her eyes. "If you can beat me, I'll give Jack to you."

Elsa parted her lips slightly at the proposition. She lowered the gun slightly, showing intrigue in the offer. "Is Jack here?" she asked, to which Sera replied with an enthusiastic nod of her head.

"That's against the rules, stupid," she snickered momentarily before breaking the sweet, innocent girl guise. Sera's cute giggle devolved into a dark chuckle and she immediately rushed forth towards Elsa.

Caught completely off-guard, Elsa fired off a random round, but missed completely due to the recoil that she was unprepared for. The shot rang out into the dead silence of the night and jarred her senses, enough so that Sera had a wide opening on her.

The lithe blond cried out as Sera delivered a kick to her stomach, sending her falling back onto the ground. Elsa grunted, but barely had time to recover as she was hoisted up by the collar of her plaid jacket and punched across the face. She cried out in pain as she was tossed aside like a ragdoll.

She hit the ground hard and she tried to get herself back onto her feet, in an attempt to find Toothiana's gun to arm herself, but instead she was met with even more pain. The glass shards that scattered the floor cut into her palms as she pushed herself up onto all fours. Elsa collapsed on the ground again, but was immediately picked up by the collar of her jacket.

Sera held her up and snickered with a cruel smile on her face. Her gray eyes glinted with a slight amusement as she cupped the young woman's small face. "Does it hurt?" she asked teasingly as she smeared the blood that erupted from Elsa's nose, across her cheek.

Elsa flinched and drew a shuddering breath at her touch. She could feel her entire face throbbing and the warm blood continuously pour out from her nose, a physical indication of just how hard she had been hit. She let out a soft cry as she was dropped back onto the dirty ground.

"Just what did Jack see in you? Huh?"

She let out a shuddering cry as Sera grabbed a hold of her braid, which had come loose when her hat fell off of her head. Elsa felt each tendril shoot pain throughout her body as the other woman yanked violently at her hair. She clenched her teeth as she was forced onto her knees.

With a soft chuckle, she roughly pulled Elsa's head back by the braid and held the large knife to her throat.

"I've been wanting to do this for the longest time," she whispered directly into her ear maliciously.

The blond's eyes shot wide open as she felt the sharp edge of the blade pressed up against her throat. Her heart rate increased dramatically as adrenaline pumped wildly throughout her body.

"...With you out of the way, Jack will _only_ love me."

Elsa gasped as she saw a spurt of red blood in her peripheral vision and screamed loudly as she braced herself for the impending pain.

* * *

Things were shaking - _rumbling_ \- and Jack could swear that he could hear the low hum of a car engine. He forced his own eyes open, even though his eyelids felt extremely heavy. His dull blue eyes roamed his surroundings, trying to figure out where he was. Jack groaned lowly, his head throbbing with a violent migraine as he laid there on what appeared to be the backseat of a car.

"Are you finally awake, Jack? You practically passed out after I fed you."

It was the one voice that he dreaded to hear - _Sera's._

Jack propped himself up slightly, to whatever extent his handcuffed arms allowed him and saw Sera driving the car. He locked eyes with her through the rearview mirror - gray pairing up with blue. Never taking his eyes off of hers, he sat up in an upright position.

Sera saw him glaring at her slightly and she giggled. "Did you get your strength back after you finally ate something?"

He did not answer her. Instead, he averted his attention to the outside. It felt as if it had been ages since he had been outside and a part of him found comfort in seeing the retreating lights of downtown Arendelle's skyline. His breath faltered after a while when the realization sunk into his brain.

He was being taken away from Arendelle.

"It was getting stuffy in there - especially with Hans stinking up the place," she snickered. "Not to mention, that bitch found us."

Jack furrowed his brow slightly, wondering if she was talking about who he thought she was talking about. His blood pumped vigorously through his body, worsening his migraine. "...Who - ?"

" - Your dearest _Elsa_."

His body shook at the mere mention of Elsa's name. "...What - " he breathed out, his eyes widening, "what did you do to her!?" he suddenly demanded to know, yelling loudly.

"She's fine," Sera sang out in a cheerful voice. "I just did what father wanted me to do to her in the first place - what _he_ _told_ _you_ to do, Jack."

A wild abandonment of all other emotions other than anger filled Jack as he shot forward in his seat. His blue eyes reflected a feral rage as he had every intent to kill Sera even if his arms were bound behind him. However, before he could do anything, he froze when Sera produced a single piece of evidence that made his entire mind lose all means of rational cognition.

It was Elsa's braid.

The platinum blond locks were unmistakable, even within the darkness of the moving car. Jack's eyes trailed down the cleaned cleaved off strands and saw the ends tainted in the reddish-brown color of blood.

She looked at him through the rearview mirror and sneered at the sight of his broken expression. "What's with that expression, Jack?" she teased, waving the braid around as if it was a dog toy. Sera let out an amused snicker and tossed it towards him.

Jack let out a startled sound, staring down at it as it landed beside him on the backseat. His eyes reflected a pure, unadulterated horror at the realization of what happened. "Elsa…" he whispered softly, his voice shaking. His eyes took in the ugly color of red that coated the end of the braid that had once been attached to Elsa's head. He clenched his teeth and let out a silent, strangled cry as he dropped his head.

Sera looked at him through the rearview mirror and the corners of her lips turned up into a cruel grin. All she saw was a broken man and a soft chuckle escaped past her lips.

How fun.


	25. A Silent Winter

**Marionette**

 **Chapter 25 - A Silent Winter**

 _Warnings: Violence, Rape_

* * *

The darkness - it drove him to the brink of madness. The feeling of helplessness - it depressed him. The ever-present fear inside of him grew, feeding on his consciousness, greedily scarfing down any sort of sanity he had left. Jack had been moved to a new location - somewhere in the neighboring city of Nightvale from what he saw as Sera drove him there.

The new location looked like a rundown apartment - most likely in the bad part of Nightvale. Sera had explained to him on the first night there that it was a safe house that she and the other mercenaries used occasionally. It smelled musty, damp, and Jack could pick up the faintest scent of a mixture of ammonia and ether once in a while. The walls were paper thin, meaning that if Jack just screamed loud enough, someone could possibly hear him. Perhaps he could have a chance at being saved. However -

"You filthy _whore_!" The sound of a loud slap followed by a sharp yelp.

"Get out! You're scaring our child!" The sound of something crashing down and shattering was muffled just ever so slightly by the paper thin walls of the apartment. Amidst the arguing voices, there was the faintest sound of a baby's cries.

It was not a pleasant place to be. It was not a place where people were good samaritans and rushed out to help someone else that was on the brink of death. It was a place where people who were considered _'nobodies'_ died and _nobody_ would care if they died.

"They're noisier than usual, aren't they?" Sera said with a sugar sweet smile, completely unaffected by the helpless cries they heard next door. Her gray eyes lowered into a half-lidded gaze as she stood before him.

Jack could feel her lustfully leering down at him as he sat there slumped on the beat-up couch like a real doll. His dull blue eyes were glazed over - livid and impassive to the things around him. He did not even bother looking up at her as she began stripping herself down, nor did he do anything to stop her when she straddled his lap.

"Hey...look at me, Jack," Sera murmured, cupping his cheek and tilting his head up. She gathered up her long black hair and swept it up and over one shoulder, letting it cascade down her half-exposed chest. A crooked smile adorned her porcelain pale face as she leaned in for a kiss.

He did not move at all as he let her do as she pleased with him. Jack did not care anymore - about anything.

His blank blue eyes stared impassively at the scarred over rash on her neck, then at the bird necklace she wore. She had bandages wrapped around her hand from another unknown injury that she sustained, but all of it did not matter. There was probably nothing that could kill her, not even the poison that laced the necklace she wore. It was all futile and Jack hated himself for thinking that such a coincidence of her discovering the deadly necklace would have granted him freedom.

 _'Foolish -'_

He dropped his head and blankly watched as Sera's dainty hands worked on unbuttoning his fresh new dress shirt. She had the courtesy of buying him new clothes, saying that she wanted to dress up him up since he was her doll.

 _'What a sick, twisted game…'_

Sera let out a sickly cough, which went unnoticed by Jack, as she looked him over. The injuries he had sustained previously had mostly scabbed over, although the burned tattoo and his branded hand still required delicate care. She took in a sadistic pleasure by seeing how sharply the dull red of the scabs contrasted with his beautiful pale skin.

"Such a shame that you aren't as disobedient anymore. It was fun," she whispered, tracing a light finger down from his collarbone to his naval. Her hand flitted over the buckle of his belt teasingly, before she went to unlatch it. Her hand slipped underneath his pants.

Jack drew in a shuddering breath, a choked gasp. Still, he kept his head down, finding no mental or emotional drive to push her away. He was shell-shocked and livid over Elsa's death. It felt as if his entire life lost all meaning and purpose when Sera revealed that she was dead. The girl that he tried so hard to protect from this corrupt, filthy world, eventually succumbed to it in the end.

Now it was his turn.

Sera seemed displeased with his lack of a reaction to her touching him and frowned deeply. "Doesn't it feel good, Jack?"

He simply sat there in silence, a distressed expression crossing his face as his body remained lifeless. Vaguely, Jack felt her kissing him, but there was no point in fighting back anymore. He had no reason to escape, not when the one person he devoted his life to was gone.

Sera noticed how passive he was and narrowed her gray eyes at him sharply. "...Are you that unhappy because that _bitch_ is dead? Father told me that you didn't like her." She kissed him again, gently nibbling away at his bottom lip. "He told me," she murmured against his lips, "that you were more than willing to kill her since her family was the one that killed your parents."

Jack grunted lowly when she bit down hard on the corner of his bottom lip, enough so that she drew blood. He felt her licking up the coppery tasting liquid lavishly, but he remained still.

"You hate the Guardians, your own foster family because they kept the fact that they knew your parents and exactly how they died." Sera giggled lightly as she comfortably settled herself down on his lap. "Well...they had their reasons, right?" She leaned down to whisper into his ear softly. "...They were just looking out for themselves. If they told you the truth of what happened to your parents, you would grow to distrust them. Wouldn't you, Jack? I bet they fed you crap like - _'oh we're only doing this for your own good, Jack! We'll tell you eventually!'_ "

Jack heard her cackle childishly at his silence. He couldn't deny it. What she was saying was true - and he had to admit it. For the longest time, he held a silent contempt for the Guardians for keeping information about his parents and who they were. A year after he became Elsa's bodyguard, he was told of the truth from the man that he worked for and his outlook on the world changed from then on - permanently.

 _'The world is filthy…unfair...cruel...to the innocent...'_

From the apartment unit next door, he could hear the banging and shouting. The woman screaming for help, the obscenities flying from her abusive boyfriend's mouth, and the faint cries of a baby. Jack grew numb to it and eventually he heard nothing.

"Now then...since you're finally starting to behave - " Sera smirked and reached over to the nearby coffee table. Jack didn't see what she was grabbing, but he soon realized what it was when he felt a small pill being pressed onto his bottom lip. "Eat it," she told him in a sweet voice.

His mind still resisted, refusing to eat the foreign, unknown medicine that she was attempting to feed him. When he did not move, Sera pulled it away and gave him a backhanded slap across the face. Jack grunted softly, weakly trying to get back to sitting up straight on the sofa.

The black haired woman gave him a sneering chuckle as she watched him pull himself back up. She held the pill to her own lips and placed it carefully on her tongue. "...Still resisting, huh?"

He felt her violently yank at the collar of his shirt and force a kiss onto him. Jack let out a muffled grunt in protest when she used her tongue to slip the pill down his throat. He feared that it was a poison of some sort as he felt it sliding down his throat, but Sera quickly answered his worries.

"Don't worry. It must be hard to perform well since it is our first time together, Jack," Sera cooed, running her fingers through his dull silver hair. "You must be nervous, but it's okay. I still love you all the same. That medicine will help you."

It was not very long before Jack felt a flush of heat engulf of his body. It almost felt unbearable as he parted his lips and panted, trying to get rid of the excess heat from his body. He writhed, almost as if he was in pain. Sera watched the entire process and smirked at the sight of his tossing his head back and letting out a strangled groan. She gave her glossy red lips a little lick and gently slid his dress shirt off of his shoulders with a sensual slide of her hands.

 _'Stop…'_

Jack shivered under her touch, his body enjoying it greatly much to his disdain.

 _'...Stop it.'_

Sera forcibly pushed him down from a sitting position they were in so that he was now lying flat on his back.

He rolled his head back as she littered his neck with bruising kisses and for a while, Jack stared in a blank daze at the ugly brown paisley patterned backrest of the sofa he was on. His pupils dilated slightly as he felt the strange effects of whatever it was that Sera had fed him. He could see his world fading to black as he slowly began to lose himself.

"I'm so happy that you're finally all mine, Jack," Sera commented with a soft giggle before she let out a feminine grunt as she penetrated herself with him. As she rode him, she threw her head back in ecstasy. She hummed, moaning in between. "I love you...I - _ah!_ \- love you."

Jack could barely make out what she was saying. It all sounded like an incoherent mumble to him, as if his ears were stuffed with dozens of cotton balls. His glazed over blue eyes stared blankly at the ceiling as he felt his cognition deteriorating.

 _'How could I have not seen this coming…? This sort of outcome...it was foolish of me to think that it would have ended up any differently. I've played traitor to both sides - of course it was going to catch up to me eventually.'_

"Hey - " Sera moaned softly as her hips grinded against his demandingly. She trailed kisses up to his jaw and murmured against his pale skin, "say my name, Jack."

 _'Stupid. You're an idiot, Frost, and now Elsa had to pay for your foolishness. The one person that you were supposed to protect - the only one that had ever loved you - is dead because you fucked up.'_

"Say it."

Jack closed his eyes tightly, feeling a tightness in his chest as his emotions spilled out in the form of beading tears on the corners of his eyes. Behind gritted teeth, he whispered in a fragmented lament, one single name -

"El...sa…" Tears streaked down from his eyes and hit the couch as he laid there with his head turned off towards the side. The reality of the matter dawned on him. He would never be able to see her - her pure-hearted smile, the wry expression she held whenever he teased her, or the loving look in her eyes whenever she spoke with him. They were all gone and it was all his fault.

Sera's expression darkened at the name that she heard from his mouth. "...What the hell did you say…?" Her gray eyes were narrowed dangerously at him, but Jack did not pay any attention to it, even when he reopened his glassy, tear-dampened eyes.

He felt almost nothing, even when she hit him hard across the face. She was screaming obscenities at him, threatening him for even uttering _'that bitch's'_ name in front of her, especially while she was having sex with him. However, Jack remained unfazed by all of this. He was no longer there in that small, dirty apartment. He was no longer at the mercy of the insane woman that had held him captive for more than two weeks. Jack simply felt as if he was in a numbing mental state, in limbo between the dark reality and slipping into a state of peaceful nothingness.

 _'This must be punishment for someone as foolish as me...for someone that could not understand and accept a filthy world such as this one. I'm sorry, Elsa - '_

"Sorry…Elsa," he whispered under his breath, his expression strained as if he was holding back from releasing his raw emotions of sorrow and grief.

 _' - I couldn't create the ideal world for you to live in. I'm sorry that you had the misfortune to meet someone as foolish and weak as I am. Someone that couldn't protect you in the end…'_

* * *

He felt her flinch, nearly drawing back her slender hand from his callous ones as he attempted to disinfect her healing wound. "Come on, Tooth - " he muttered softly, dabbing the damp cotton ball in some more rubbing alcohol and running it over the gash on her arm. "You want this to be infected and be admitted into a hospital for a week because you got septic shock?"

The green haired woman glared at her colleague and sharply withdrew her hand from his clutches. "Why are you always so pessimistic, Bunny?" she scolded him.

He rolled his minty green eyes and grabbed her hand again. "It's just the reality of it. Now stop whingin' and let me do my job."

Toothiana scoffed as she sat stubbornly upon the plush chair as she watched him with a distant gaze, only for her expression to soften as the seconds ticked by. Her eyes went over towards the large aerial map of downtown Arendelle that hung on an antique chalkboard in the parlor room. Her eyebrows lowered, distraught, as she murmured, "Jack...it's been two weeks now."

Bunnymund simply let out a soft sigh as he helped wrap up Toothiana's arm.

"...We were so close to finding him - _I was close_. I should have known something was wrong the minute I stumbled upon that car around back of that brewery,"

"You did all you could, Tooth," Bunnymund told her. "You came back in time to save Winters. That counts for something."

"Does it?" She laughed wryly as she shot a sideways glance over towards the entrance of the parlor. "If I had come back sooner, maybe she wouldn't have gotten hurt - "

"She'll be fine. Probably takes after Frostbite's tenacity, but she's been raring to go out again to search for him." Bunnymund let out a soft chuckle as he finished bandaging up Toothiana's arm. "She surprised me honestly. I always thought of her as a fragile, spoiled rich girl, but - she's strong. Personally I thought she would have freaked out because of what that Sera girl did to her hair."

Toothiana giggled lightly. "Miss Winters is stronger than that. You should give her more credit, Bunny. Jack wouldn't fall in love with just anyone."

He laughed through his nose as he picked himself up off of his knees. "That's true. I questioned his taste in women when he told us he fell in love with her, but maybe I could see why now." He ran his free hand through his side swept, gray hair and let out a light sigh. His smile fell a little as he looked towards the double staircase that led upstairs to the bedrooms. "...Frostbite's alive."

"Bunny…"

"He's alive," Bunnymund reiterated sternly. "Like I said, he's a tough one to kill and Winters told us that Sera girl spoke as if he was still alive."

Toothiana nodded, pursing her pink lips tightly. She nervously kneaded her hands together in her lap, careful not to exert too much pressure so that the gash on her arm would open up again. A swell of insecure emotions brimmed at the base of her throat as she whispered out, "...Jack...he - uh - he's fine." She nodded her head again. "You're right. You're absolutely right - "

"Thiana - "

She widened her eyes at the sudden sound of her real name. Looking up to face Bunnymund eye-to-eye, she stared into his gentle green irises and parted her lips slightly.

"...I know you think of Jack as if he's your own - "

She was silent.

" - but don't let your love for him cloud your judgement. There's a reason why Manny tells us not to love anyone. It makes us act irrationally."

The green haired woman laughed dryly. "...Jack always said that it was a stupid rule." She looked him in the eyes and asked, "do you think what happened to Jack was because he fell in love with Elsa? Is this your way of warning me not to fall down the same path?"

Bunnymund stared hard into her eyes. He tightly clutched at the bottle of rubbing alcohol in his hand and whispered almost inaudibly, "...I'm just reminding you - that's all." He turned away soon after, walking out of the parlor in a slow, somber pace.

Toothiana dropped her head to look at the injury that he had helped patch up for her. She let out a soft, pensive laugh as soon as she heard the tall man leave the parlor. With the gentle tips of her lithe fingers, she ran them over the bandage and softly remarked, "...wasn't that a reminder for yourself as well...Aster?"

* * *

"Are you sure you don't want me to call up my hair stylist?" Anna asked as she watched Elsa play with the uneven ends of her hair where her beautiful blond braid once was. "Not saying that it looks bad! You look good with short hair," she quickly added on, "but, it looks like it's bothering you - "

"No." Elsa shook her head, letting her hand drop to her side. "I'm fine, Anna. The main priority now is finding Jack...you know that." She smiled a little. "It's just...a little odd feeling," she commented, touching the shoulder where her braid usually rested. "I've had long hair for as long as I could remember."

As Elsa fitted the beige newsboy hat on her head, Anna's smile faded. "...Are you going out again?"

"I have to," the blond replied curtly, sensing the worry in her little sister's voice. "...We were so close to finding Jack. He was in that building - I know it - but…" Her tone dropped slightly as she averted her eyes to the hardwood floors of her bedroom. "I messed it up. If I hadn't been discovered by Sera...Toothiana wouldn't have needed to come help me."

She could remember what happened far too well. She could even still feel the lingering stinging sensations left by the knife that had nearly severed her head off of her neck, had Toothiana not arrived in time.

It all happened very quick, but the female Guardian managed to throw off several small daggers with such precision, even in the inky darkness of the night, that two managed to pierce the back of Sera's hand that held the knife. The other knife cut past her wrist, the one that held Elsa's braid in a vicegrip. Luckily for her, Elsa was spared her life in that instance, but was yanked up by her hair to be held hostage.

* * *

"I'll slit her pretty little throat if you come any closer, you old hag!" Sera screamed, holding the knife tightly against Elsa's neck as she kept her wild gray eyes on Toothiana.

The green haired woman shot a glance off to the side and muttered, "Jack is here, isn't he?" She raised her head, facing Sera again. With narrowed pink eyes, she asked as she pulled out several throwing knives from the inside of her heavy winter coat, "you can slit her throat all you want, but are you willing to take the risk of losing Jack?"

"What the _fuck_ are you talking about - !?"

" _Tell me_ ," Toothiana declared in a loud voice, cutting Sera off mid-sentence. "Do you have the confidence to take me down? Who's to say that while you're killing off her that I won't go running off trying to find Jack?"

Sera laughed loudly, almost cackling madly as she fired back, "you old bitch. Are you in love with Jack too? ...I see…" She tossed Elsa aside carelessly, holding her knife tightly as she advanced onto Toothiana. "I'll kill you both...I'll kill all of you because he's mine!"

Baring her teeth, Toothiana widened her stance and readied her knives when she saw Sera rushing up to her. She threw them, the sharp projectiles cutting through the night air at such an incredible speed that Elsa was amazed that Sera could even dodge and block them. It was almost mesmerizing to see the two women, both equally adept fighters, battle it out. However, Elsa knew that she could not just sit by and watch the events unfolding. She had to act.

With Sera distracted, Elsa went for the discarded gun she had dropped earlier. With the only source of light being from the moon, she had trouble finding a black pistol that had seemed to perfectly blend in with the dusty, dark floors. She winced at the pain of the tiny glass shards cutting into her palms as she searched for the gun while on her knees, but she ignored the pain.

As she crawled towards the bar, she gasped, startled when Sera practically flew back against the bar just beside her. The raven haired woman grunted, letting out a gagging sound afterwards as she slumped to the floor, trying to catch her breath. She briefly glared at Toothiana, who was advancing towards her, then her eyes went to Elsa, who was just beside her, petrified in fear.

"Come here, you bitch," Sera growled through gritted teeth as she grabbed a hold of Elsa's braid once more.

The blond screamed and squeezed her eyes closed tightly, waiting for the pain of the damage Sera was going to inflict on her.

"Miss Winters - !" Toothiana cried out in a panic, only to stop dead in her tracks when she saw Sera slice through Elsa's braid, cutting it off from her head. Unsure of just what this unpredictable woman was planning to do, Toothiana simply stood there as she seemingly let Elsa fall back onto the floor.

With a wide, proud grin, Sera held up the golden braid as if it was a trophy for her self-imposed victory and smeared her bloodied hand over it. "Jack's _mine_ ," she muttered, briefly speaking towards Toothiana, then turning to look down at Elsa. The bloody hand of hers that held her hunting knife went high up above her head. With an impassive, but deadly glare, she focused in on Elsa and whispered, "...I won't allow _anyone_ to have him - "

Before Elsa could even move, she squeezed her eyes shut instinctively. However, before she could move, she felt someone hovering over her and heard the sound of a low thump right beside her head.

"...And I...won't let you - " She heard Toothiana's struggling voice above her. Upon reopening her eyes, Elsa gasped at the sight of the older woman blocking the knife with her left arm, letting the blade sink deep into forearm. She was clearly in pain as she held herself up with her right arm planted firmly on the floor beside Elsa's head. Still, she held her ground. " - harm..." she breathed out from behind clenched teeth, "the person that he really loves."

"T...oothiana," Elsa whispered out, shaking as she saw Sera digging the knife deeper into her arm. A little terrified gasp escaped her when she saw that the pointed end of the large knife had stabbed through the female Guardian's arm.

A thin layer of sweat formed on the older woman's forehead as she fought through the pain shooting through her body. Compared to losing Elsa or Jack, this was nothing that she could not endure. She used all of her strength and pushed herself up, pushing Sera back onto the bar once more. The knife dug around in her arm, creating a vicious gash, but all Toothiana was focused on was not letting Sera get away.

As she was forced against the bar, the sharp edges of the wood digging into her spine, Sera clenched her teeth and threw a punch at the green haired woman. Being blindsided, Toothiana grunted as she staggered back, trying to recover from the strong hit to her head. Using this moment as a distraction, Sera pulled the knife out of the other woman's arm and made a run for it out of the brewery.

"Tooth!" Elsa said in a hurried breath, rushing up to the older woman's side worriedly. She helped her up onto her feet, but as soon as she did, they both heard the loud roar of a car engine speeding past the brewery.

Toothiana's eyes went wide as she forced herself to break into a run. The cold night air felt like daggers on her peach-pale face as she made it outside just in time to see Sera's car speeding out of the lot. The vapor from her heaving breaths came out in a large white clouds as she helplessly looked on towards the dark streets.

Elsa caught up with Toothiana, she too, panting heavily as she asked her, "should we look around for Jack? Since she was here, he must be somewhere inside - "

"No," she answered her. "We might have interrupted Sera just as she was planning to leave with Jack. She may be insane, but she's cunning and smart. She knows that we would have found him eventually if they remained at this location for a while longer." Toothiana suddenly pursed her cold, pink lips tightly and cursed silently under her breath. "I'm sorry, Miss Winters...if I was a little bit faster...I could have tried to unlock the car that was parked around back. It was a bit hidden underneath a cover and it had a dark tint on the windows, but... _I did_ see Jack."

Elsa's breath stilled. "...You...did?" The confirmation that Jack was alive brought relief to her, but at the same time, the revelation felt bittersweet. Sera had taken him again and he was still in danger.

"I'm sorry. I responded to the sound of your gunshot just as I was about to break one of the car's windows," Toothiana bowed her head in apology.

"It couldn't be helped. Please - don't apologize," Elsa urged her, trying to ignore her own guilt that was bubbling up inside of her. Toothiana was close to rescuing Jack, but since she fired off the gun at that same moment, she came to save her instead. "...I'd be dead if you hadn't come in time."

A brief, defeated sigh left past Toothiana's lips. She slowly nodded her head. "You're right," she muttered. "I am your bodyguard for the time being, after all."

Elsa began to smile, happy that her reassurance worked, but it quickly fell when she saw Toothiana turn back towards the brewery with a suspicious glare. "What's wrong?" she asked her curiously.

"...When I went around the back of the brewery, I thought I smelled the undeniable scent of a something _rotting_." The green haired woman strode over towards the back of the structure, with Elsa following closely behind her.

"Rotting…?"

Toothiana hesitated for a moment. "A... _dead body_ , Miss Winters."

"It...can't be Jack, right?" she visibly gulped. "He was in the car with Sera."

"Yes, but if there is a dead body here...we should find out who it is. Sera's probably the one that killed them. Perhaps their identity could give us a clue as to where she might have taken Jack." Toothiana pried open the steel hatch that led down to the basement with a grunt.

As soon as she did so, they were both engulfed in the ominous, stomach-churning scent of a rotting human body mixed in with the musty mold of an old basement. The smell alone made Elsa want to throw up the meal she had ate earlier in the day. She brought her arm up, burying her small nose into the sleeve of Jack's old blue flannel jacket. Even the soothing alpine scent failed to chase away the foul smell.

"Please stay out here, Miss Winters," Toothiana told her. "...I...don't want you to witness whatever is down there."

* * *

The two sisters stood in the spacious bedroom in silence. Elsa quietly eyed Anna before speaking softly. "...I'm sorry again - about Hans, I mean."

The strawberry blond nodded a little, biting her lower lip. "It's...It's okay. Like I said - I'm over him."

Elsa saw Anna averting her eyes to the floor sullenly. She knew that down inside, Anna was not quite over Hans. She didn't expect her to be. While their romance had been brief, her feelings for him were genuine. That's why Elsa knew that the news of Hans' death was none too welcoming for her little sister. Knowing all this, a sudden feeling of guilt overcame Elsa. She began to wonder if telling Anna everything was a mistake.

As if sensing her sister's guilt, Anna leaned forward and wrapped her arms around her.

Widening her eyes at the sudden display of affection, Elsa froze and stammered out, "A - Anna…?"

"Please don't feel guilty, Sis," the young girl whispered into her shoulder. "...I'm stronger than I look." She let out a somber giggle, holding onto Elsa tightly. "Don't worry about me. I can take care of myself," she reaffirmed.

"But - "

"What you need to do now is go out and find Jack." Anna quickly sniffled as she pulled away from her. "Even though my love life's a mess right now, seeing you two together makes me happy," she commented with a light laugh and a heartwarming smile, despite the fact that it looked like she was about to cry. "That's why you need to find him. Okay?"

Elsa sighed, all the while giving her sister a sincere smile for reassurance. "Okay," she answered with a collected confidence. "I'll find him, for sure."

* * *

"So -"

All of the Guardians were seated in the parlor room of the Winters' estate once more, attempting to choose their next course of action. It was nearly three weeks since Jack went missing and the situation was turning more dire by the passing second. They needed to pool together all the resources they had to locate him.

"Sandy managed to find out that the license plate Toothiana saw on Sera's getaway car belongs to the Isles family," Bunnymund flipped through the little notepad he held in his hands, looking over the various things that he had jotted down pertaining to the search for Jack. "Not that surprising since she's been working for them," he said with a shrug. "This is probably a walk in the park for the police to locate a missing car and the head of the Isles house did report that their vehicle as missing at the same time that they reported Hans missing. Well... I guess they found the poor guy now, but - "

"Point is - " North cut in with his gravelly voice, "we will wait for the police to find the car. While normally we are against involving the police due to our secretive lives, we feel that this time is exception. They will be focused on finding Sera and the car, not Jack. When they locate it, that is where we will search."

"However, Sera's smart," Toothiana added in, in a low voice. "She's insane...but smart. She knows that we're on her tail, so it's very likely that she's not in Arendelle anymore. There's no way she'd risk it."

Sandy pulled his mouth to one side of his face, deep in thought, then excitedly began signing to everyone.

Toothiana nodded in agreement. "Exactly what I was thinking - she could have escaped to a place where she feels the most comfortable."

"A comfort zone," Bunnymund chimed in. "Of course. Probably would make more sense in her case based on the behavior she exhibits."

"The question is now…" North said, leaning back against the large plush armchair. He stroked his salt and pepper beard, scrunching up his lips so that they disappeared completely behind his bushy mustache. "Where exactly is the place that she calls home…?"

* * *

Her steel gray eyes impassively looked out the dirty window. From the small apartment bedroom, she could see the beautiful skyline for downtown Nightvale. In the distance, she could hear police sirens, fading away slowly as they retreated. With the tips of her pale fingers, she played with the ends of her straight-cut, long black hair as she let out a slight cough.

Although she could not feel anything, Sera knew something was wrong with her. For the first time in a while, she got a look at herself in the mirror and saw just how badly her body was injured. She had bruises everywhere, along with a grotesque rash that had scabbed over on her neck. Her skin looked sickly pale as opposed to her usual porcelain glow. There were dark circles underneath her eyes and her fingernails had yellowed considerably. The injuries she had sustained from her fight with Toothiana were also not healing as fast as normal.

"It's not as pretty as Arendelle," Sera quietly commented as her eyes rested on the downtown skyline. "But...Nightvale has its own charms...I wonder why, but just being in this city brings me at ease…" she muttered to herself.

Letting out another cough, she turned around to look back at the double sized bed. Lying upon it was Jack, unmoving and completely still. She slowly walked up to him and sat down on the edge of the bed. A gentle smile played upon her face as she reached out to stroke his head. "...Or maybe I feel at ease because I have you by my side," she whispered, crawling up onto the bed so that she could lie beside the unconscious man.

Jack continued to _'sleep,'_ as Sera briefly glanced over at the various sleeping aid medications that scattered the dirty nightstand beside their bed. She looked back down at him and carefully redid the buttons on his shirt. He did not stir, for he was completely sedated by numerous sleeping pills.

"You'll get a cold sleeping like that, silly," she said softly, speaking to him as if he was awake. Sera giggled as she fixed up his pants as well. "...You did your best...for my sake." She leaned down and gave his cracked lips a fleeting kiss. Sera laid herself down beside him and cuddled up closer, resting her head in the crook of his neck comfortably. "You made me happy," she said to him, gently touching the necklace she wore. "You made me feel loved and you didn't throw me away like everyone else did. When Father told me that you had a present for me, I almost didn't believe him. I never received any presents - _ever,_ but when I found this necklace...I was so happy."

Sera's eyes closed slightly, giggling as she wrapped her arms around him loosely. "I always liked dolls…" She pressed her ear against his chest, listening to his slowly diminishing heartbeat. Her eyelids felt heavy, not with sleep, but with a fatiguing weakness. She knew that her time was almost up.

She cupped the side of Jack's face, studying his sleeping expression. His masculine, but delicate face was a ghostly pale due to the lack of sun exposure he had gotten for the past few weeks and from malnutrition.

"...I'm just happy that you were mine," she whispered softly before placing one last kiss on his cold lips. "Thank you - Jack."

A little, serene smile graced her small face as she took in her last breath - the strong scent of ammonia and sweet ether filling her lungs.

* * *

Elsa blankly stared out the window for the longest time, not really paying attention to the conversation going on inside of the car. She knew she should probably listen in on what Toothiana and Bunnymund were discussing, as it was information pertaining to Jack, but she distanced herself from it all. Frankly, she was tired. It felt like ages since she had last seen Jack and it wore her down immensely - mentally and emotionally.

She spent many sleepless nights, awake and worried over him. Once in awhile when she did fall asleep, she found herself dreaming of him. She was giddy with happiness of being able to see him only to wake up to the cold, harsh reality that he was still missing.

"God, the gas mileage on this thing is shit," Bunnymund said in reference to Jack's car.

Toothiana, sitting beside him in the passenger's seat, gave him an eye roll. "Should we have taken your car then?"

"At least we wouldn't have to fill up halfway just to get to Nightvale."

"We wouldn't need to fill up if you had just taken the route I told you to take! And your car smells like an ashtray. No way I'm sitting in there for an hour and I'm sure Miss Winters wouldn't want to either."

"Well, sorry we can't smell like flowers and sunshine all the time like you, Tooth."

Elsa went back to ignoring them, seeing as how their conversation transformed into an immature bicker. Instead, she resorted to playing with one of the loose strings on Jack's hoodie that she borrowed. It was baggy on her small frame, but it hardly bothered her. With a lazy finger, she gently traced the white frost patterns that adorned the sleeves and edges of the hoodie. She then went back to staring out the window listlessly. In the glass, she saw the faintest glimpse of her reflection,

Toothiana insisted that Elsa disguise herself as a boy again. She drew less attention that way, according to her- no one could recognize her as the Winters heiress and she wouldn't draw unwanted attention as an attractive young woman. She hardly minded the disguise, especially when Jack's casual clothes were far more comfortable than her own, but it did not help her mental state when she would catch a whiff of his scent that lingered upon the clothes.

She missed him - a lot.

Ceasing their tirade before it escalated, Toothiana turned back to look at Elsa, who had fallen silent in a forlorn sullenness. "Miss Winters?" she asked her softly. "...Is everything okay?"

The blond bit her bottom lip and bowed her head. "...I'd be lying if I said 'yes'." Her voice cracked as she clenched her fists tightly above her knees.

Toothiana could tell that the young woman was trying to force down the tears, to keep her emotions suppressed and under control. "Miss Winters...it's...okay to cry. I know you're frustrated with our progress - "

"No," Elsa adamantly demanded, raising her head to look at the green haired woman. "I don't want to shed anymore tears over this. Not until Jack is found, because crying is just going to waste my energy - energy that should be used towards finding Jack." She swallowed back her tears and said slowly, "since I know that he's alive...it's a rather bittersweet feeling. He's alive, but...what could he possibly be going through right now?"

Bunnymund looked at her through the rearview mirror, then averted his eyes back to the road ahead of them. "...You don't think about it - _any of it_ \- until he's found, Winters. The last thing we all need is a distraction, especially when we're closer than we had ever been to finding him."

Elsa stared at Bunnymund for a moment before slowly nodding her head. "I...understand," she answered, not wishing to push her insecurities and negative emotions onto the two Guardians. She shook her head slightly, ridding herself of such dark thoughts, and asked them, "where in Nightvale are we going to look?"

Toothiana filled the blond in. "Luckily for us, Sandy managed to dig up some information on Sera. Sitting around waiting for the police to locate Sera's car wasn't going as fast as we had hoped, so we took matters into our own hands. _Unluckily,_ however...there isn't much. She was pretty much a ghost for a huge chunk of her childhood and adolescence. We had hoped that we could find possibly a place where she grew up in and spent a large portion of her life at, but that turned up nothing. But - " She smiled, almost a triumphant smirk, and produced a map. She handed the folded up piece of paper to Elsa and waited for the young woman to respond.

Upon the map of Nightvale, Elsa saw a bright red circle on a stretch of apartment buildings north of the downtown area. She blinked and asked Toothiana, "do you think this is where Sera is?"

The green haired woman nodded in response. "When I fought her back at the brewery, I had a bit of trouble keeping up with her. I could see why Jack would lose to someone like her. She definitely was trained to kill because all she kept aiming for were my vital points, so I assumed that perhaps she's some sort of hitman or better yet...a mercenary." She saw that Elsa reacted to the word with a slight flinch of her body. "...Do you see the connection, Miss Winters?"

"Mercenaries...like the ones that Hans hired to kill me...There was a masked woman that nearly killed Jack had I not gotten there in time to distract her," Elsa quickly said, "it was probably Sera! But...how does this help us find Jack? What is her connection to these apartments?"

"Being bodyguards for other high profile targets and people of importance, we are very much aware of various different mercenary groups for hire," Toothiana explained. "We knew of what mercenary group invaded your estate several weeks ago, thanks to Jack who described the patches they had on them to us. Although they were notorious for being top-notch mercenaries and we've done research on them for several years since many hire them to take out the people we are assigned to protect, we couldn't find any information on Sera being affiliated with them. It's like she's their well-guarded secret."

"A bit unusual," Bunnymund added in, "but in any case, Sandy managed to hack into much of their personal databases and found several properties they own. No doubt places they use to blend in with the public so that they could easily kill their targets without brewing up suspicion."

They drove through a dimly lit tunnel briefly before the road finally opened up to reveal downtown Nightvale. It had towering skyscrapers, many of them much larger than Arendelle, whose skyline seemed lackluster in comparison. While some parts of the downtown area they drove by were well-polished and clean, most of the streets were littered with the homeless and mentally ill. It definitely wasn't a pleasant place to be at, especially at this time of the evening.

Bunnymund sighed, as if disgusted with the many prostitutes that were dispersed along the sidewalk. He was stopped at a traffic light and grimaced at the sight of some of them eyeing the car. "Told 'ya, Tooth - should've brought that beat-up Toyota I have for a car. Wouldn't even attract any attention at this dodgy part of town."

Toothiana scoffed as he stepped on the gas to speed away as soon as the light turned green. "Still going on about your car?"

"Oi, I'm just saying. This high-end, metal deathtrap is practically carrying a huge sign saying, _'please rob me! I have money!'_ "

"You're so pessimistic," she snapped at him.

Bunnymund simply responded back with a roll of his mint-green eyes and muttered, "we're here." He pulled up to the curb just across the street from the rundown apartments. Raising a bushy gray eyebrow, he peered out the window with a level of skepticism. "Does this look like a place you'd want to hide someone?"

"It looks like a place where you could hide someone and _not_ be asked any questions, much less have people care." Toothiana got out of the car, with Bunnymund and Elsa following suit. As she closed the door, she ended up exerting pressure on her injured arm and she grunted, holding it in pain.

"Oi...Tooth," the tall Australian man said worriedly, "maybe you should stay behind. If we do find Sera here, it could get messy - "

" - I'm fine," she insisted strongly. "I've been through worse - you know that."

Bunnymund averted his gaze, knowing that arguing with the green haired woman was going to get him nowhere since she had the stubbornness of a bull. His eyes rested on Elsa for a while and he asked her, "you wanna stay here or go with us to check out the apartment complex?"

She narrowed her blue eyes. "Isn't the answer obvious?"

" _Heh_ \- thought so. Nice to see that you're starting to grow a spine, Winters."

Elsa watched the tall man walk towards the apartment and followed shortly after, a disgruntled pout on her face. She was not quite sure if he was praising her or insulting her.

"Don't think too much on the things that man says," Toothiana remarked, waving her hand slightly as she walked alongside Elsa. "He means well all the time."

"Of course…"

As they walked up onto the sidewalk running alongside the apartment building, Bunnymund let out a sound of sharp exhale. He waved his hand over his nose and asked, "whew, smell that? Ammonia and ether - drug lab," he stated as he held the door open for Elsa and Toothiana. "Shows you just how much Nightvale PD neglects this part of town."

They stepped into the cramped lobby area of the apartment complex. There was a middle-aged woman sitting in a tiny booth off to the side, presumably the building's poor excuse of a security guard by the looks of her wardrobe. She eyed them as they approached her booth. "Yes?" she asked them with the slightest hint of _'leave me alone'_ apparent in her tone of voice.

"Do you know all the tenants in this apartment complex?" Bunnymund questioned her.

The rotund lady sighed tiredly and drawled out lazily, "why are you askin - ?"

"Did you see a girl come in here with a young man with white hair?"

"I don't look that closely at people, _sir_ \- "

Toothiana intervened. "She's short, long black hair, pale - uh - the man she was probably with - "

"Listen - I didn't see anyone and none of the tenants fit that description. Now, unless you're the police, I'll have to ask you to leave, you're causing a disturbance," the security guard snapped sternly, clearly annoyed with the questions.

"Oh, you think _we're_ the disturbance?" Bunnymund asked incredulously. "Listen here, Shelia, you got a drug lab going on somewhere in this apartment and that could get this place shut down for good - "

"My name's not _Shelia_ , sir."

Seeing as how Bunnymund was not going anywhere with the security guard, and with how a vein had popped up in his forehead due to his escalating anger towards the woman, Elsa took matters into her own hands. "... _Please_ ," she said with desperation heavy in her voice. She stepped up to the booth and placed both hands on the small counter. "This is important...I know you might not care, but...we just want to find the man she could be with."

The woman stared at her for the longest time, her face relaxing and caving under the plea-filled look in the blond's eyes. With a defeated sigh, she held her temple and muttered, "...I guess...I did see a couple by your description. They came in maybe two days ago. I tried to ignore it because the guy she had with her was a bloody mess. He didn't say anything, even when I asked him if he needed to go to the hospital. They guy looked like the entire world had crashed down on top of him." She clicked her tongue regrettably. "Maybe I should have done somethin' - "

An ear-splitting, head rattling boom interrupted their conversation. The entire building seemed to shake from the force of the explosion and the once quiet night was now permeated by the sound of screaming and hastened footsteps. The ceiling above them dumped a copious amount of dust and debris on top of their heads.

" _Shit_ \- just our luck," Bunnymund cursed as several tenants rushed out from the stairwell and out of the apartment complex. "I thought that the smell of ether was way too strong." He rushed Toothiana and Elsa out of the complex, the security guard following closely behind them.

They had made it safely out to the street, where they saw that one entire floor of the complex was up in flames, with the fire spreading quickly upwards. Elsa watched the flames licking the decrepit old building, consuming it at a rapid speed. She clenched her fists tightly by her side before she whipped around towards the security guard.

"What floor!?" she exclaimed.

"H - Huh?"

"What floor are they on!?"

"U -Uh," the woman racked up her thoughts, " - s - seventh. They're tenants in room 744, but - ! " Before she could even finish her sentence, Elsa rushed off into the burning building without a second thought.

"Miss Winters!" Toothiana shouted out, chasing after her.

"Oi, Winters! Are you crazy - !?" Before Bunnymund could rush in after the two women, the complex rattled again with a second, weaker explosion. He was stopped when a massive pile of burning debris came crashing down in the path before him, blocking off the entrance and preventing him from advancing any further. He clenched his teeth and he could only stand back as the apartment began crumbling down bit by bit.

* * *

The heat was practically unbearable as the blaring noise of the fire alarms disoriented her to no end. It was stupid, impulsive move just diving head first into a burning building just to save someone that could possibly not be there. However, Elsa knew it was the right move.

As she climbed the stairwell, with Toothiana following closely behind her, the platinum blond stopped and turned around. "You should have stayed behind!"

"I couldn't go back even if I wanted to Miss Winters," the short woman responded. With a firm tone, she looked up at the heiress and said, "I want to save Jack as much as you do. Despite the fact that he could be a traitor to us all, he is a person I treasure greatly."

A piece of falling debris interrupted the two women, turning their attention back to the situation at hand. There was no time to waste. The building was close to collapsing and every single second was crucial.

"Hurry, Miss Winters!" Toothiana exclaimed, urging Elsa to run up the stairs at a faster pace. "It looked as though the fire began in the fifth floor. Careful!" she said as they approached the landing for the mentioned floor number.

Elsa could feel the prickling heat even through the fabric of the hoodie she wore as they passed by the hot metal door. She pushed onwards, adrenaline pumping through her veins as she neared the sixth floor.

 _'Almost there...almost there - !'_

She stopped abruptly at the sound of a loud cracking noise, followed by a shrill scream. Elsa whipped around, only to find that the stairs behind her had given way and that Toothiana was dangling by just an arm. "Toothiana - !" she exclaimed in a wild panic.

" _Go_!" the green haired woman shouted, clutching onto the hot stone of the concrete step for dear life as she dangled several feet above the flight of stairs they had climbed up. Toothiana clenched her teeth when she saw that Elsa remained unmoving, attempting to help the woman up. "You're wasting time!" she barked sharply, causing the blond to retract her arm.

Elsa bit her bottom lip as she took one last look at Toothiana's pink eyes. Seeing the steeled look of conviction in her eyes, the young woman unwillingly left her there and continued on to the seventh floor.

Once she saw Elsa run up the next flight of stairs, Toothiana smiled in satisfaction. She attempted to pull herself up, but as she did so, the step that she was hanging onto, collapsed. There was a brief weightless feeling that engulfed her entire body before she fell with a loud crash onto the flight of stairs beneath her. She cried out in pain as she landed awkwardly on her legs.

She trembled, gritting her teeth together at the pain that shot through her body when she tried to move her legs. Sweat poured down her forehead at the heat that was growing absolutely unbearable. Toothiana let out a strangled cry as she tried to crawl, only to have a mind numbing pain jar her senses and leave her there paralyzed in the burning stairwell.

 _'I can't die here - '_

Her hand shook as she attempted to crawl her way to safety.

 _'I can't…'_

She stifled down a cry as her mangled legs slid across the burning hot concrete. Tears stung her eyes, but felt like they evaporated before they could roll down her smooth cheeks. The heat was getting too intense.

 _'After I've finally met people that truly care about me, that treat me like a family, that love me genuinely - I'm forced to succumb to a pathetic death like this…'_

Toothiana bottom lip trembled as she forced down her tears. She bowed her head and rested it on the hot concrete as she felt the heat stab her skin like millions of daggers. Her hand trembled briefly as her muscles tensed up, then it released as she began to lose consciousness due to the heat and smoke.

 _'I'm sorry 'Jack'. I'm sorry that mommy wasn't strong enough to save you…'_

"Tooth!"

Her eyes cracked open just for a peek. She heard a voice -

"Tooth! Come on - wake up!"

She could feel someone grabbing her arm, attempting to move her. "...Bunny?" she breathed out weakly. As she was hoisted up onto her feet, she whimpered in pain from her legs that buckled out from underneath her.

The tall man whispered to her, "just bear with me, okay? I'm getting you out of here." He brought her up into his arms, making sure to hook his arm underneath her legs without putting too much pressure on them.

"...Elsa...and Jack...they're still inside - "

"It's too late," Bunnymund replied, dashing down the stairs with ease, even while carrying the small woman in his arms. "The fire trucks arrived and once they start spraying that high powered water at the building, the structure's going to start to give way."

"We're...just going to leave them?" she asked incredulously with very little strength in her wispy voice.

"If Winters got to him in time, then they could take the fire escape on the side of the building. If not - " He didn't bother finishing the sentence, fearing that if he did, then it might become a reality.

Just as the two made it outside, there was one last thunderous explosion before the building began to collapse on itself. There was a terrible sound of steel beams groaning and splitting in half as the old building gave way.

"Get back!" a police officer shouted over the roar of the fire and commotion.

Bunnymund grit his teeth as he and Toothiana were taken in by some of the firefighters, who escorted them over to the awaiting ambulances. "There's still people in there!" he shouted at the lone police officer doing crowd control.

"Some firefighters went around back! Let's just hope that they got there in time. Now sir, I'm going to have to ask you to step back!"

He looked back at the burning building as he was taken away by a paramedic who insisted on checking him for injuries. With a worried look in his green eyes, he whispered under his breath, "damn it, Frostbite…"

* * *

Elsa sprinted up the last flight of stairs and entered the seventh floor. The fire had not spread up to this floor - yet - but she knew that it could overcome her any second with how intensely the fire was burning beneath her feet. She ran down the hallway, scanning the room numbers with just a brief glance before coming to a halt in front of the room where supposedly Sera resided in.

She panted, trying to get some air into her lungs, only to get a breath full of smoke. Elsa coughed into her fist as she simply resorted to pulling the collar of the hoodie up over her small nose. It filtered out the air a bit, but the smoke was thickening and she knew that she had barely any time left. She reached out to grab at the door handle, only to find that it was extremely hot. A sharp yelp escaped her as she drew her hand back sharply.

Her palm was burnt a bright red, the injuries she sustained a few days ago at the brewery stung even more with the heat striking the sensitive cuts. Still, Elsa pulled the sleeve of the hoodie over her injured hand and twisted the doorknob, only to find that it was locked. Panic filled her as she reminded herself that these were apartment units and that she was an idiot for not grabbing any sort of master key from the security guard before rushing up there so impulsively.

Baring her teeth, Elsa threw herself against the door, plowing her shoulder and arm into it with all of her might. The door did not budge, so then, she tried again. And again. And again.

After the fifth time, she could hear the door's hinges starting to rip away from the old, rotting wooden frame it was attached to. Elsa panted, sweat drenching her clothes as she let out one final yell and broke down the door. It fell with a heavy thud and she wasted no time in rushing into the room, which was already filled with a thick smoke. She looked around with widened blue eyes, darting around the walk-in kitchen and living room area.

With a heaving yell, she shouted loudly with a hoarse voice, "Jack!"

Burning debris began falling around her and she ran towards the bedrooms. The sweat she accumulated on her forehead and the back of her neck failed to cool her down in the slightest as the fire raged on. Her lungs screamed for relief from the black smoke and from the burning sensation that filled her throat.

"Jack!" she shouted again just as she entered the single bedroom.

Her vision was limited, but Elsa could see both Jack and Sera lying on the bed. She stilled at the sight of the black haired woman, cuddled up comfortably in his arms. Warily, she approached the bed, keeping her eyes on her the entire time as she gently touched Jack's shoulder. Their last encounter was still fresh in her mind and she knew that if Sera was alive or awake, it would create a huge problem.

"... _Jack_ …?" she whispered, shaking him.

He did not answer her.

"Jack?" she said a bit louder, pulling his shoulder so that he could roll over onto his back. Elsa drew in a soft breath, out of shock, when she saw bright red cuts on his chest, neck, and face. A sinking feeling overcame her as she took his hand with a trembling breath. Was he - dead?

"J...ack? Wake up - please wake up," she begged him, shaking him over and over. Elsa attempted to take his arm, throw it over her shoulders, and carry him out that way, but he was simply too heavy for her to do so. She struggled, desperately trying to at least pull him off of the bed, but stopped when she saw a hand reach out for his other arm.

"...Don't...take him from...me," a soft voice whispered out.

Elsa let out a frightened gasp when she saw Sera raise her head to look at her. However, the look reflected in her steel gray eyes seemed different than how she looked at her at the brewery. She looked pathetic, almost as if she was begging for Elsa to leave Jack here with her.

"I...love him...I love him - _so much_...so please - " Before she could finish speaking, the ceiling above the bed gave way.

Elsa, drawing back wildly out of surprise, managed to pull herself and Jack away from the bed just in the nick of time. Falling back onto the floor, she held onto Jack's unconscious form as the flames burned brightly before her. She stared at the bed, now engulfed in flames by the burning debris that completely buried Sera, killing her and bringing her to her untimely demise. It was a shocking turn of events, but Elsa had very little time left to dwell on it as she tried once more to pick up Jack's dead weight by herself.

"Jack…" she breathed out, struggling to get back up onto her feet. A response from him was the furthest thing from her mind, but when she heard him utter her name, her eyes widened.

"...El...sa…"

She drew out a shivering breath as she looked over at him. The mere sound of his voice was enough to fill her body with a heartwarming tranquility. The hopefulness in her voice was instantly restored as she asked him again, "Jack?"

He raised his head slowly, looking at her, however his head fell back down - losing his consciousness once more.

Elsa felt her heart throb painfully at the sight of him. As she continued to struggle to get back up onto her feet, she began to wonder just what Sera put him through. This was the first time that she had ever seen Jack in such a frail and weakened state. Frankly, it was so foreign that it scared her.

Another thundering boom rattled the burning apartments. This time, Elsa could hear the low groan of steel beams giving way and the sound of crumbling mortar and cracking wood. She looked up and saw the ceiling was starting to give way above them. Upon an impulse, she herself onto Jack, protecting him from the falling debris. Several burning wooden beams and pipes rained down all around them and Elsa felt the pain of a stinging heat on her leg. She knew that some of the debris must have fallen on her leg, but she hardly cared. The physical pain felt like nothing compared to the emotional pain she felt in her chest.

"...I'm sorry, Jack," she whispered, holding herself above him. "I wanted to help you, all this time, but all I can seem to do is make things worse for you." She shook as she felt tears invade her eyes. "You always have to be the one to save me and that's what I hated because I felt like I was being a burden. That's why...I wished you would tell me what was bothering you, but you wouldn't - all the way until the end."

She laughed dryly.

"I'm an idiot, aren't I? How could you possibly tell me something like that? ...That you were planning to kill me eventually?"

Elsa looked down at him lovingly, a tearful smile painting its way across her face. She brought her hand up to stroke his cheek.

"It scares me that you were thinking of such a thing...but on the other hand - I think that if I were to die by your hand…"

She heard the sound of heavy footsteps rushing down the hallway outside.

"...I wouldn't complain. If it means that you'll be free of one burden, perhaps you could smile from your heart for me." Elsa laid herself down on top of him, resting her head on his chest and listening to his murmuring heartbeat. "Mm," she remarked softly as she closed her eyes, "I think, if your genuine smile is the last thing I could see before I die...I wouldn't complain...at least I would know that you're happy."

* * *

"I'm sorry for breaking the news a few days after your ordeal, but I wanted to tell all of you at the same time - " The doctor sighed heavily as he shoved his hands into the pocket of his white coat. He looked off towards the side and everyone else - Bunnymund, Toothiana, and Elsa, followed suit.

"...He's going to be okay, right?" Toothiana asked the doctor gently, afraid of the news he would bring.

"Of course. Although the care was crude, someone's been at least attempting to clean and disinfect his wounds throughout the weeks. It's a miracle that he didn't get an infection." The doctor untucked the clipboard from under his arm and took a look at the notes he had jotted down. "He'll recover," he said with a sigh, prompting Bunnymund to ask him skeptically -

"What's with _that_ tone?"

Toothiana shot a glare up at Bunnymund as he stood behind her wheelchair, silently telling him to take the edge out of his voice. "What do you mean, Doctor?" she asked, attempting to repeat his question without the hostility.

Elsa worriedly glanced back at the doctor and then at Jack, who lay in his bed, fully awake. She could only see the back of his head as he had it turned away from the large glass doors. He faced the window that showed a view of the gray winter skies. Anxiety bubbled up within her as she and the two Guardians awaited for the doctor's response.

The doctor looked into Jack's room again and drew out another soft sigh. "...He's been doing nothing, but staring out that window for the past three days. He doesn't respond to anyone or anything. We don't really know what's wrong with him. He'll get better physically within the next week, but mentally? ...We're not so sure."


	26. Stormfly

**Marionette**

 **Chapter 26 - Stormfly**

 _Warnings: Violence_

* * *

The doctor's words sounded deafening as they fell upon Elsa's ears. It didn't help in the very least that she kept replaying those words over and over again inside of her head like a broken record. The truth in the matter was simply - Jack may not return back to 'normal' and that frightened her to no end.

"You think Frostbite has amnesia or something?" Bunnymund asked as he produced a pack of cigarettes from his brown weskit pocket. He stopped before putting a cigarette in his mouth when he saw Toothiana shoot him a nasty glare. She jerked her head over to the 'no smoking' sign posted just off to the side and he grimaced at it before clicking his tongue in annoyance. His eyes slanted off to the side in a surly manner as he shoved the pack of cigarettes back into the breast pocket of his weskit.

"I think - " the green haired woman said, "Miss Winters should be the first one he should see, amongst all of us."

" _Me_?" Elsa drew back in surprise. She gently cradled her bandaged hands within each other and set her lips into a fine line. She hesitated, remaining silent until Toothiana questioned her.

"Miss Winters…?" she asked worriedly. Her head bowed somberly as she sank back a little in the wheelchair. "...Didn't you want to see Jack?"

"I - I do," she stammered with uncertainty. "But - "

" - I understand things must be awkward...especially when you two have been apart for so long, not to mention that Jack isn't quite...himself." Toothiana took the words right out of Elsa's mouth. "But you shouldn't let that fear hold you back." She smiled up at the young blond woman, "go," she said in gentle reassurance. "It must look like he's betrayed you...but didn't you want to see him to get his side of the story? Whether or not you like the answer, it's better to know than to remain oblivious to it."

Elsa bowed her head.

"...Things won't be the same between you and Jack anymore, Miss Winters. You know that."

Toothiana's words stung her heart - the harsh reality stabbing her like a serrated blade. The platinum blond drew in a trembling breath as she glanced into Jack's room through the large glass windows. Her eyes rested upon the back of his head in a solemn silence.

She did not wait for Elsa's answer, as one was not needed. Instead, she carefully wheeled herself out of the way so that the young woman could enter the hospital room. She, nor Bunnymund spoke to one another until Elsa closed the door behind her.

The Australian man sighed morosely, his green eyes a bit duller than usual as he watched the blond approach Jack's bedside. "Do you know what Manny said?"

"About what?"

"...About Frostbite. Manny isn't too happy with him - with what he's done." Bunnymund paused for brief moment. "He's really thrown a wrench into Manny's plans to revive the Lunanoffs' family name. Not to mention...betrayed his trust for working with someone that wants Winters dead."

Toothiana looked through the large windows once more and glumly asked idly, "...what does Manny want to do?" Her heart sank even before Bunnymund could answer her because she already knew what the outcome was going to be.

"Jack's no longer one of us. After he recovers and gets discharged from the hospital, we are to cease all communications with him - for good." The gray haired man leaned over to get a look at Toothiana's face, somberly averting his eyes to the ground when he saw that her dark brown eyes were watery with tears. "...Tooth..you know this is how it's gotta be - "

She quickly raised a hand up to wipe away at her dewy eyes. "God," she breathed out, sniffling as she let out a wry laugh, "...at least one good thing about not wearing contact lenses all the time is that I can cry like this." She let out another broken laugh, prompting Bunnymund to bow his head slightly as if he was apologizing to her.

"I don't like this either…" he muttered, "but..." His voice dropped off, sinking into a deafening silence.

The green haired woman let out a slight cough, trying to stop herself from crying any further. She sniffled, "we should leave them alone for a while." She attempted a smile as tears flowed down her cheeks.

He knew that this ordeal was hurting her the most out of all the other Guardians. She was purposely trying to change the subject and he quickly picked up on that. "...Let's get some fresh air then," he gently suggested as he helped push along her wheelchair down the long corridor.

* * *

Elsa could hear the slow, monotonous beeping of the heart rate monitor Jack was hooked up to. She stood there next to Jack's bed in complete silence, listening to the steady rhythm. Her eyes scanned over his body. Although he was always naturally pale, he looked sickly pale as he laid there on the hospital bed. He had thin tubes and wires stuck to his arms and chest, weaving in and underneath the loose, pale white robes he wore. This was the first time Elsa had ever seen him in such a state and it unnerved her a bit.

He was always lively and full of energy. Elsa could remember the one time he got sick just before final exams at the university, but he wasn't sick enough to be bed-ridden. She was always so used to seeing him as her fearless, strong bodyguard that this image of him was foreign to her. It was almost as if she was looking down at another person.

"...Jack?" she finally managed to whisper his name, calling out for him. " _Jack_ ," she said his name again, this time with more conviction in her tone. Elsa stepped closer to the bed, wishing that he would turn his head to look at her. "...It's me," she said, her voice softly trembling as her hands slowly balled up into fists at the sight of him being unresponsive.

She waited for his reply, verbal or physical, but when nothing happened she quietly sat down upon the stool next to the bed. With downtrodden eyes, Elsa's shoulders hunched as she watched him continue to look out the window, never once facing her. She followed his gaze and saw the snow that had fallen over Arendelle yesterday. It coated the bare trees outside the window and she assumed that he was looking at the snow, probably for the small comfort it usually brought him.

"It snowed a lot the past few days," she commented, hoping that he would eventually join in on the conversation. Elsa kept her eyes glued on him as she continued on. "Remember…? We would play out in the snow for the longest time. Mother got angry because I didn't get to finish the assignments my tutor gave me, once. You tried to take the blame all for yourself even though I was the one that insisted we keep on playing." A fond, but befallen nostalgic smile played upon her pink lips as she stared down at her hands in her lap. "...You were always protecting me back then too...even when I was unaware that you were my bodyguard. Even for the things where you didn't have to, you still protected me."

The blond raised her head up to look at him again and saw that he did not move at all. At this point, she was not sure if he was even awake to listen to her. She wished to check, but her fear held her back. Instead, Elsa got back up onto her feet and took one last look at Jack. The silence hurt her immensely, but she fought back tears by biting down on her trembling bottom lip.

"...I'll come back tomorrow, okay?" she whispered. For a brief second, she attempted to reach out to him, but her arm swiftly fell back to her side. Without another word, she left the room, feeling as if her heart was going to cave-in on itself if she stayed there any longer. The man lying on the bed wasn't Jack - _it wasn't her Jack_.

He heard her leaving and waited until the glass door slid to a close before he let out the most silent of heaving sighs. His catatonic, dull blue eyes finally closing to a regretful blink after staring outside at the pale white snow for the longest time.

"I could _never_ protect you, Elsa..."

* * *

Anna had no idea how to feel about being bombarded with the pink and red heart decorations that adorned literally every store that she went into. It immersed her in a bittersweet feeling of spending this year's Valentine's Day without a significant other by her side. In the past years, she always had a different boy that asked her out on that special day - each year. Anna always accepted the date, whether she truly liked them or not, just to see if a romance could blossom from it - only for it to fall flat at the end of the entire thing.

This time, however, Anna rejected any offers that came her way. She turned down several boys from her high school that asked her out on a date for Valentine's. It had been a few weeks since she and Hans broke up - and when she found out that he was dead. While she had moved on from him, she was not quite over her own feelings. She definitely did not feel like she was ready to fall in love again.

She let out a forlorn sigh as she walked down the streets of downtown Arendelle, with Simon closely in tow behind her, helping her carry the many shopping bags she had acquired throughout her impromptu shopping spree. Seeing her elderly driver carry so many packages, she felt a bit guilty and suggested that they head back home.

"Are you feeling a bit better, Miss?" he asked her, insisting that he was fine with carrying the load despite his aged body.

Anna scrunched up her face slightly, as if she was thinking up a decent response. "...Shopping usually helps," she commented with a depressed sigh following soon after. "But that's not the case this time, Simon. Let's just go back home." She mustered up a smile. "I bought some stuff for Elsa too. She's been wearing those awful hospital robes for the past few days, so wouldn't it be nice to come home to some cute clothes?"

"I would assume so," Simon replied, the wrinkles near his soft gray eyes deepening as he smiled fondly down at the young girl.

" - Anna! Hey, Anna!"

The strawberry blond wrinkled her brow at the sound of her name being called out from down the street. She turned around, immediately widening her azure eyes at the sight of a familiar blond barista -

"Kristoff?" she asked incredulously, surprised to see him. She waited until he caught up to her and Simon and until he caught his breath. His pale complexion was splotchy with blooms of red from the heat of running and his broad chest heaved up and down, as he took in gasps of cold air to replenish his lungs. "What are you doing here?"

"I work here," he answered with a cocky grin, to which Anna responded with a confused eyebrow raise. Kristoff pointed off over her head and she followed his finger, seeing the cafe that he works at just down the block. She shot him an embarrassed, annoyed glare, which he remained oblivious to as he started running in place. "Hey sorry, I gotta go. I'm actually running late for my shift. Manager's gonna kill me if I get caught," he said with a nervous chuckle before slinging his work apron over his wide shoulder. "Just wanted to say _'hi'_!"

"Kristoff!" Anna called out to him as he sprinted away, running straight across the street without even waiting for the crosswalk signal. She felt a brief panic when a car nearly ran him over, but stopped just in time in front of him. She relaxed, a scoffing sigh escaping her when she saw him profusely apologizing to the driver, who started honking and yelling at him wildly.

He turned around back towards her again when he made it safely across the street. "Can't talk right now! I'll call you later tonight, okay!?"

Anna furrowed her thin brows as she saw him flash her a boyish smile, causing her to blush. As she watched him run off, she pursed her lips tightly together and cursed at herself when she felt the hot bloom of a blush crawling up her neck. Sharply, she turned on the heel of her dark brown leather boots, letting out a soft 'hmph' as she did so. The bitter feeling of embarrassment began to rise up inside of her chest.

"Is that the young man you stay up late talking to on the phone every so often, Miss?" Simon asked, chuckling when he saw the strawberry blond's blush intensify across her pale face.

She looked to him with an indignant silence before begrudgingly mumbling back, "I - I suppose - " Her blue eyes widened at the sight of Simon's smile, a certain presumption look flashing across his eyes. "He's just a friend, Simon!" she insisted at the elderly driver. With a light scoff, she turned into the direction of where the car was parked and strode away, leaving the old man to chuckle fondly at her childish behavior as he followed her.

* * *

Elsa casually wrapped a thick scarf around her neck, letting her hands linger for the briefest of seconds on the smoothened out edges of her short hair. With the help of Anna's hair dresser, the choppy edges of where Sera had cut off her braid were gone as well as the horribly uneven hairstyle she had throughout her duration at the hospital. Taking its place was a short, waved haircut that reached down to the base of her neck. She had her short, side-swept bangs again, resting upon her forehead perfectly so. Anna insisted that she looked cute with such a hairstyle, but Elsa could not seem to get used to it.

With a solemn sigh, she looked on last look at herself in the full body mirror, fitting a white beanie on her head, and walked out of her room. She was on her way to go see Jack at the hospital again. It had been a few days since she was discharged and every single day after her reunion with him, she made an effort to go stay by his bedside - anywhere from half an hour to a few hours. He never spoke to her, nor did he make eye contact. Elsa was not even quite sure if he was listening to her, but she spoke to him anyways, telling him everything that happened to her the night before or small things, like the weather or current events.

Her hand rested on the cold doorknob to her room as she focused her eyes in on it - a pensive gaze. She knew that she had to continue speaking to him, even though he did not respond. Because she felt as if, if she did not, she would lose her one and only connection to him.

A single sigh later, Elsa walked down the lonely, cold hallway towards the entrance hall. When she arrived there, she stopped at the head of the stairs when she saw an unfamiliar face waiting by the front doors. Her breath stilled, her foot faltering on taking the next step down the stairs.

She was a young woman - looking similar in age to herself, tall, golden blond hair tied back in a short ponytail, and fierce blue eyes burning with an unyielding tenacity as she looked up at Elsa. She was dressed in a black suit - black tie and a dark gray dress shirt underneath - which despite the masculine attire, brought out her feminine charm by hugging her small waist.

"So - " the confident woman began, taking off her gloves. "You must be Elsa Winters."

Elsa stood back, wondering just who this person was. She stared at her warily from the top of the stairs as the other woman slowly approached her. "Who...are you?" she asked.

The golden blond haired woman shoved the black gloves into the inside pocket of her blazer. She stood at the base of the stairs, her face showing off a sort of bold, striking type of beauty. "Are you wondering where Bunnymund is?" she asked. Elsa giving a subtle physical reaction to the sound of the familiar name from the unfamiliar voice.

The lanky Australian man had been the one serving as her bodyguard, as Toothiana had yet to fully recover from her injuries. He was a man of a few words, rather stoic and his language was calloused, but Elsa knew that surely he would have said something to her about this woman.

"Oh - you don't need to worry," the woman in the suit said languidly. "The Guardians sent me." She smiled, although it came off more as a confident smirk. Extending a hand out towards Elsa, she stated coolly, "they told me to introduce myself by my alias, _Stormfly_ , but I have no problem with people knowing my real name. ...My name's Astrid Hofferson - your new bodyguard. Nice to meet you, Winters."

* * *

A bouquet of colorful flowers met her chocolate brown eyes. With a bashful giggle, she held the flowers in her hands and turned to look up at the man who had given them to her. "Oh Bunny, you know I'm weak to flowers."

"That's why I got them for you," he replied with a soft chuckle as he seated himself down on the white stool beside Toothiana's hospital bed. He flashed her a fond smile and asked, "how are you holdin' up?"

"Fine," she answered with a warm smile, setting the large bouquet aside on the nightstand. A lighthearted giggle escaped her. "These really helped. The hospital's a rather depressing place to be at after a while."

Bunnymund chuckled, bringing his long leg up to rest it upon the other. "You're the only colorful thing here, honestly. Well...now you're rivaled by these flowers."

The green haired woman let out a dry laugh as she ran her hand over her short bob cut, the yellow-gold highlights shimmering. She let her fingertips linger upon her exposed roots, showing off her original, brown hair color. "I wish I could go to the hair salon again at least," she remarked with a downfallen sigh.

"I think you look fine - with your normal hair color."

Toothiana laughed into her hand. "I'm the one that doesn't like it, Bunny." She noticed his eyebrows lowering, his thin lips pushed together tightly in uneasiness, which she quickly responded to. "...Aster," she said his real name softly under her breath, averting her eyes down to the white, thermal blanket that covered her legs. "...I've already moved on from what happened in the past. I've already accepted that it happened. Yes - I started coloring my hair and doing all these crazy things to my appearance to shed my past - to change myself and get rid of that weak woman that couldn't even fight back her abusive husband…" Her voice fell slightly in volume, a sadness creeping up on her. "...I couldn't even save my unborn son from that monster."

Bunnymund turned his head away from her slightly, seemingly deep in his own thoughts as well. "We all have skeletons in our closet, but we all fought back against them - haven't we? That's why we were all given a second chance at life by Manny. I don't want to say he saved us, but he damn well comes close to it."

She felt a warm heart spread throughout her body when she saw and felt Bunnymund's calloused, large hand take hold of her small, lithe ones. Toothiana raised her head to look at him, slightly surprised at this kind gesture. "Bunny… - "

"We're all good people thrown into this chaotic, unfair world," he commented glumly. "Manny, North, Sandy, you, me...we all suffered, but we fought and did what was right in the end."

"...Even Jack, _right_ …?"

He seemed stunned by her question, but his gaze relaxed when he looked to Toothiana and saw the dismal look on her face. Despite the mounting evidence of his betrayal towards Elsa and the Guardians, and Manny's decision to let go of Jack, Toothiana still seemed hopeful of their youngest member. Bunnymund let out a soft sigh through his nose and smiled just slightly. "Yeah...even Jack."

Toothiana seemed comforted just by his words, relaxing her shoulders as her hand basked in the warmth provided by the tall male Guardian's own hand.

The gray haired man looked to her again, as if he was inspecting her carefully, before finally making a lighthearted comment. "Green hair actually isn't that bad." He reached out to gently grab a hold of one of her short locks by her ear.

"Oh really? How so?" she asked him curiously with a smooth laugh.

"...Reminds me of Spring - _and Easter_ \- two of my favorite things. Kinda fits your quirky personality too."

Toothiana rolled her brown eyes and slipped her hand out of his grasp, only to reverse their positions and place it on top of his. "Oh Bunny - are you saying I look like an Easter egg?" she asked with a scrutinizing, but playful gaze.

" _Oi_ , some Easter eggs are works of art," he retorted in his defense.

She laughed again. "Okay, okay...whatever you say then." With a fond, bashful smile, she glanced at him briefly, blushing, before whispering out a single heartfelt, "...thanks."

* * *

Astrid frowned slightly as she stared at her new master attempting to make contact with what looked like her comatose, ex-bodyguard. She looked at them through the large windows of the hospital room before sharply turning away with a click of her tongue, annoyed.

"Oi - "

The golden haired blond looked off to the side to see Bunnymund approaching her. "Sir - "

" - Don't call me that, makes me sound old," he said back to her, sounding slightly irate with her behavior towards him. "Bunnymund - Stormfly, got it? Always by alias, that's what Manny said."

"Right," she muttered, acting as if she was brushing him off, much to his chagrin. Astrid turned back towards the windows, staring at Elsa and Jack. "...Was he her previous bodyguard?" she questioned the Australian man. The young woman glanced up at him and went back to staring at the couple. "I'm only asking because she seems far too invested in him for a mere bodyguard."

"You suspect something else?"

"Is there?"

Bunnymund let out a dreary sigh, fingering the pack of cigarettes in the pocket of his beige weskit before realizing that he was in a hospital. He instead, shoved his hands in his pants pockets and looked at Elsa and Jack as well. "Our organization prohibits it - dating - kinda gets in the way of things and distracts us."

She raised an eyebrow inquisitively. "Get in the way of what, exactly?"

The gray haired man peered down at Astrid and commented, "you ask a lot of questions, Stormfly, you know that?"

"Well, I am new, sir. I may have been a bodyguard to the Haddocks heir, but I'm new to being a 'Guardian.' Not to mention, while not trying to demean my previous master, Elsa Winters is a more sensitive target than he is." The woman said this with all with stoic, brute honesty, surprising Bunnymund, but he found it interesting. For someone as young as her, her personality was something notable.

He let out a dry, amused laugh. "It isn't exactly something that I could tell you out here."

She cocked her head slightly to the side, suspiciously curious as to the reason behind his secrecy.

Bunnymund looked to her, answering her. "I'll keep this simple then - those two love each other." He pointed at Jack and Elsa with his sharp chin. "I can't say too much out here in public, but the boss man isn't too happy with that - and the fact that Frostbite betrayed his trust."

"Hm." Although she still had question as to the specific details, she figured that it could wait until she was admitted into the Guardians' underground compound. Her astute blue eyes stared at the back of Elsa's head once more. "...If he has betrayed all of you, he surely must have betrayed her as well. I didn't quite understand it when she told me so vaguely on the way over here, but she seemed like she was unhappy with seeing him today."

"And you seem displeased with that."

Astrid's eyes hardened into a sharp glare. "Of course I am," she whispered almost hatefully under her breath. "I hate self-righteous martyrs like her. It's pretty obvious that she's hurt by this entire thing and it's been what - almost a week now? And he still isn't talking to her, much less give her a glance. She's just wasting her time hanging onto him," she practically spat out in disgust.

He saw her point, but for once, he had to side with Elsa. "We all want to speak with Frostbite. She's just trying to reach him - "

"What? Just by waiting for him to start speaking to her? That's been going really well for her so far, huh?" She turned away, feeling rather impatient and angry just from watching the lack of progression. "They both get on my nerves…" she growled under her breath. In the midst of her irritation, Astrid noticed some movement in her peripheral vision and turned her head towards that direction to get a better look as to what it was. She wrinkled her brow at the sight of a rather scraggly looking young man with a head full of chestnut brown hair and round, thin-rimmed glasses.

He seemed to be staring into Jack's hospital room through the window on the door.

"Hey!" Astrid called out to him rather roughly, grabbing his attention. He looked to her, almost intimidated by her presence as she approached him. "What do you think you're doing?"

"A - Ah, sorry!" he immediately apologized, stopping her in her tracks. "I must have gotten the wrong room number!"

Astrid opened her mouth to yell at him again, but the young man took off, obviously flustered and embarrassed of being caught. She wrinkled her brow at the odd behavior, but did not think more of it as her attention was averted to Elsa, who had emerged from the room due to the commotion.

"What happened?" she asked, gently opening up the door and peering out.

"It's nothing, Winters," Bunnymund answered, "just go back to Frostbite. We got it under control out here."

"Actually...I think I'm done for the day," Elsa muttered with a sullen smile as she quietly closed the door behind her. She took a look back at the white haired man and dropped her gaze. "...He didn't speak again."

Sensing that Astrid was about to say something calloused to the platinum blond, Bunnymund quickly commented with, "give him time. He's been through a lot. Besides, the psychologist didn't even do an initial assessment of him yet. It might be best to just wait until that's done so that you can devise another way to get through to him."

Elsa smiled at the solution that was offered up by the older man. "Thank you," she responded, tugging at the ends of her short blond hair. "I guess that's the best option for now." She looked back into the room once more and commented, "I just hope he can get well soon so that he could come home."

At those words, Bunnymund flinched. He let out a slight cough, out of nervousness for the news he was about to break to the young blond. "...Winters - " he started out cautiously, catching her attention, "Frostbite - er - Jack...he can't come back to your residence."

She wrinkled her brow. "... _What_? What are you talking about?"

"The big boss man - he came to a final decision yesterday that Jack will be cut off from the Guardians... _and_ from you."

Her mind went into a blank state. "B - But…where will he go? How could all of you just cut him off like that? Isn't he your family - !?"

" - Trust me, Winters!" Bunnymund sharply said with a tone of regret-filled sadness in his voice. "We don't want to do this either." He let out a harsh breath. "Like hell we want to cast him out. If we had a choice in the matter, we'd like to overlook the acts of betrayal he's committed, but that isn't how Manny wants to do things currently. He wants to make sure that his plan goes through without fail and Jack really messed things up for him by plotting to kill you. He just can't be trusted anymore in his eyes." He glanced up at the heiress, who stood there in complete shock over what she just heard. "...I'm sorry, Winters. That's just how things have to be."

Her hands shook by her sides as she tried to keep her emotions in check, but that was easier said than done. The news hit her like a freight train and the pain that was caused by it felt similar in a sense. How did it turn out to be like this? Why was this the outcome that she was presented when she struggled to find him? Was it all for nothing?

Astrid looked to Elsa, concerned about her silence. "Hey," she quietly whispered, gently touching the young woman's shoulder. She drew back in shock when Elsa practically hit her hand away.

In a show of fiery anger, she raised her head to look at both Bunnymund and Astrid, although the latter was not at fault for the events that transpired. "You all should have just left him for dead then! Maybe that would have been better than just throwing him away as if he doesn't matter!" she shouted.

" _Winters_ \- " Bunnymund said sternly, only to be interrupted by her.

"He's been alone his whole life, never knowing who his parents really are - how could you inflict the same type of pain on him with no remorse! He'll be alone again after this!"

"We had no choice - !"

"You _do_!" Elsa retorted, ignoring the fact that she was causing a scene at the hospital. She bared her teeth as she strongly declared, "I have a choice as well...and I will be taking Jack in once he's recovered - _no matter what_. I'm not abandoning him when he's in such a vulnerable state."

Before Bunnymund could get another word in, the young heiress stormed off. He stared at the back of head in disbelief before she rounded a corner and disappeared from his and Astrid's view. With a dry laugh he commented, "for someone that Frostbite calls _'Ice Queen,'_ she sure is hot-headed."

Astrid wrinkled her brow, facing the tall man. "So...what should I do? Am I still her bodyguard? If she takes in Jack after his recovery, Manny won't appreciate it, would he?"

Disgruntled, the gray haired man let out a sigh and held his head. "Keep an eye on her - I'm sure Manny will come to a compromise with Winters. Because without her financial backing, there's no way his plan can go through."

* * *

"...Winters!...Hey!"

She could hear Astrid calling out for her, urging for her to stop. Elsa had no intention of answer her and instead, hastened her pace. The hard soles of her fleece brown boots clacked as she made her way towards the elevators. As soon as one opened up the second she pushed the button to go down to the first floor, she heard Astrid catch up to her.

"Hey!" she sharply exclaimed, grabbing Elsa by the shoulder and stopping her. Astrid promptly glared at her when Elsa roughly hit her hand away. In disbelief, she watched as the platinum blond stormed into the elevator without a hesitating moment. "Are you fucking kidding me, right now?" she asked out loud.

Elsa had no response and simply crossed her thin arms over her chest, keeping a steady narrowed gaze at the bodyguard. The elevator dinged and the doors slid closed - almost.

Before she missed her chance, Astrid stopped the elevator doors from closing and pried them open. Obviously exasperated with Elsa, she shot her an annoyed look and asked, "what the hell is your problem, huh?" When the heiress refused to answer, Astrid continued her line of questioning. "Look - " she stated as she watched the young woman reach forward to push the button for the lobby. " - I get that you're upset with what might happen to your ex-bodyguard - "

"He's my _bodyguard_ ," Elsa corrected curtly.

" _I'm_ your bodyguard - _Princess_ \- whether you like it or not - " Astrid shot back condescendingly. She stopped the doors from closing when Elsa pushed the lobby button again. "If you want him back so badly, then are you willing to face the consequences as well?"

"What are you talking about - ?"

"You heard Bunnymund. If you take him in, the Guardians will no longer extend their services to you and quite frankly, you need our level of protection. Some no-name bodyguard service isn't going to cut it for someone like you."

Elsa's expression hardened. "...I can take care of myself. Jack can also - "

"He can't do _shit_ while he's in that state." Astrid was beyond the point of caring whether or not her course language was affecting her conversation with the platinum blond. She let out an exasperated sigh and asked in a softer tone, "...why are you so willing to let him back into your life when he was the one that wanted to end it?"

Opening her mouth slightly, Elsa spoke to the young bodyguard with an unbridled confidence. "Because...I trust him. That's all."

* * *

"Hey, Bennett!"

A lanky young man with black rimmed glasses and disheveled brown hair hurriedly ran up to his boss, a revered psychologist in the field. "Yes, ma'am?" he asked nervously, earning him a sigh from the doctor.

"Come on, Bennett," the middle-aged woman drawled, tiredly holding the back of her neck. "You're an interning med student at a hospital, not in the military, for god's sake." She handed him a couple of peach-color file folders with a sharp flick of her wrist. "Loosen up," she told him, to which he responded with a hurried nod of his head. "And don't call me _"ma'am._ " Makes me sound old."

"Y - Yes, ma'am - _I mean_ \- sir. I - I mean - "

The Asian woman shoved one hand into the pocket of her white coat and the other pinched the bridge of her nose. She sighed exasperatedly and told him, "just go, Bennett. File those and let's call it a day."

The brunette hastily nodded again and sped down the halls, files in hand. As he walked past some of the patient rooms, he stopped before one in particular. The soles of his bright red sneakers squeaked against the polished tiled floors as he turned very gently on his heels to peer into the room. His hazel eyes flickered over to the room number, then back at the silhouette of the patient lying upon the hospital bed.

He looked around, making sure that there was no one else there, and he quickly opened one of the files containing some of the preliminary reports the doctor had written up on multiple patients. His smooth hands quickly flipped through the papers before stopping upon the one with the same room number as the one he was standing before. A little gasp, followed by a slowly spreading, endearing smile, played across his boyish face as he looked back at the white haired patient in the room.

"...Jack," he whispered, gently raising a hand up to touch the cool glass of the window. He smiled, but before he could linger upon his nostalgic thoughts, he drew back his hand the minute he heard someone call out his name.

"Oh, Jaime!" one of the janitors exclaimed as he passed by on one of the hallways perpendicular to the one the hazel-eyed young man was standing in. "I thought you already left!"

Letting out a sheepish laugh, Jaime answered, "Dr. Moon's work ran a bit late."

"I see...well, get home safe! I heard it's going to snow again later tonight."

"Thanks! I'll keep that in mind!" He waved back at the janitor until he disappeared from his view. His grip on the file folders tightened as he took one last look into Jack's room.

* * *

Elsa looked out into the dimly lit courtyard of her estate and saw that snow was starting to fall softly onto the grounds. She sat comfortably in the warm plush seat of the swivel chair in her study and stared out the large windows with a solemn look in her sapphire blue eyes. She could not seem to quell the swirling maelstrom of thoughts inside of her head that threatened to spill out past her cool exterior.

Pursing her lips tightly together, Elsa let out a drawn out exhale, hoping to calm herself down and rationalize her thoughts. For the longest time, she sat there in the numbingly silent room before a knock at the door snapped her out of her thoughts.

"Come in," she said with a slight stammer from being caught off-guard. Elsa saw the door open up slowly, revealing Astrid.

"...Hey," the golden blond said, nervously running her hand over her short ponytail before letting her arm fall down to her side. She avoided Elsa's inquiring gaze for a while, seemingly apologetic.

"Did you need something?" Elsa asked, biting back her tongue when she realized how hostile she sounded.

" _Uhm_ ," Astrid coughed, clearing her throat into her loose fist as she removed her gloves and shoved them into the inside pocket of her blazer. "...Sorry," she said, "about earlier. I feel like we got off on the wrong foot."

The platinum blond studied the female bodyguard as she nervously wrung her hands together. She was definitely giving off the impression that she was sorry for her calloused behavior earlier. Elsa sighed, standing up from her seat slowly. "...It's fine. I'm at fault too," she admitted.

" _You?_ " asked Astrid incredulously.

"...I - " Elsa held her arm, hugging herself halfheartedly as she spoke. " - I shouldn't have been so irrational earlier. You have to understand...I was angry with what Bunnymund told me - with what Manny Lunanoff decided about Jack's fate."

The young bodyguard scratched the back of her head idly for a while before asking, "do you still want him back then? Jack - I mean."

"Of course," Elsa responded without a moment's hesitation. She lowered her eyes thoughtfully and muttered, "I can't imagine my life without him. ...I hope you won't misunderstand, I do accept you as my bodyguard, but Jack's more to me than that - "

"He's your boyfriend - ?" Astrid questioned, before stopping herself as soon as she saw the young woman shake her head.

"He's...someone I consider important. I can't bear the thought of losing him or abandoning him when he's done so much for me. I don't care if it was all a ruse to gain my trust. I refuse to believe that he would ever go to such lengths to betray me...even though the evidence says otherwise."

Furrowing her brow, Astrid muttered softly, "you must really like him. You're basically willing to house the man that plotted to kill you in cold blood." She let out a dry laugh. "Can't tell if that's just stupidity or you being noble."

Elsa scrunched up her mouth to one side of her face in a lopsided pout, taking a slight offense to what she said.

The golden blond haired woman noticed the disgruntled look on the other woman's face and she chuckled. "I guess I'll just see it as _'noble'_ for now," she stated, coming to compromise.

"... _So_...will you be leaving once Jack is recovered? I know Manny doesn't want anything to do with me if I let him back in."

Astrid shrugged. "If I leave, I leave, but for now the orders are to protect you. Wish I had a say in this matter, but even though I'm contracted with the Guardians, my loyalties lie with the Haddocks in the end and since the head of the Haddocks said that he would help Manny Lunanoff out, I gotta do what I'm told." Her eyebrows lowered apologetically as she saw the befallen expression on Elsa's face. "...Sorry, Winters. I - _erm_ \- hope that Manny makes his final decision in your guys' favor."

"Thanks," the young heiress said curtly, mustering up a smile.

The blond bodyguard returned the kind gesture and flickered her cobalt eyes over to the window behind Elsa. "Should get some shut eye. It's a bit late."

"Soon," Elsa responding, acknowledging her thoughtful words.

Astrid flattened her pale pink lips together in a straight line and exhaled sharply through her nose. "Okay then," she said with a terse nod of her head. "'Night."

"Goodnight."

The young woman waited until her bodyguard left the room until she let the tension leave her thin body. She allowed herself to fall back into the large plush leather chair with a sharp sigh, holding her head as she did so. Once again, she was left alone in the silence, left alone with her own thoughts. Elsa pursed her lips together and squeezed her eyes shut tightly, trying to will herself to calm down.

The very harsh reality of the matter was weighing down on her conscious severely. Jack might not be back to normal anytime soon, if ever, and even if he recovers, she would have to make the decision of harboring a traitor and breaking off ties with the Guardians, or letting go of Jack to keep herself safe and keep her family name in an alliance with the Lunanoffs and Haddocks.

She peered over to the small framed photo of her family, when she and Anna were young children - happier times. Her eyes rested upon her father and mother's faces for a while before muttering halfheartedly, "...wish you were both here. I could _really_ use some advice right now…" Her eyes went to her mother's face. She was truly a beautiful, wise woman, despite choosing to relinquish the Winters' corporation to her husband rather than become the immediate acting CEO.

Deciding that she should simply turn in for the night to escape the worries and thoughts that plagued her mind, Elsa bundled herself up in a thick, fluffy bathrobe and quietly left her study. She slowly made her way towards her room, at which time she noticed that one of the clocks in the hallway read that it was nearly 1 in the morning. Although her body and mind felt fatigued, she hardly felt tired enough to fall asleep. Bracing herself for another sleepless night, Elsa stepped into her room and silently closed the door behind her.

The bed sheets felt cold against her skin as she shed her robe and climbed underneath the white linen cloth. Elsa shivered a little, the cold bothering her on this particular night. She rotated herself so that she was lying on her side, facing her nightstand. As she curled her body into a tight ball in an attempt to get herself warmed up, her eyes fell upon the white camellia flower that Jack had given her on Christmas.

It was still blooming beautifully, despite it being several weeks since it left the florist and from it being knocked out of its vase when the mercenaries invaded the estate.

 _"I saw some in the flower shop that we passed by and it reminded me of you…"_ she could hear Jack's voice inside of her head. _"- strong and resilient, no matter what happens. It will do its best to live on...and so will you."_

Something clicked within her mind as the pure white color of the flower seemed to radiate its own light in the darkness of her room. She pensively lowered her eyes and slowly closed them, feeling content with going to see Jack tomorrow once more.

* * *

 _White._

 _He could see a white letter, folded up neatly, being handed to him with the utmost level of discretion as he left for classes as usual that fateful morning. With slightly parted lips and a widened gaze, he looked from the letter in his hand towards the woman standing before him. Her kind, gray-blue eyes shone with a soothing look as she looked to him._

 _"Keep Elsa safe...please," she whispered, kissing him on the forehead gently._

 _"...Elsa?"_

 _Something was different this time as Jack stared into Idun's eyes. Regret? Loneliness? No...that wasn't it -_

 _"Just...promise me you won't leave her side, Jack." She flickered her eyes down to the letter he held in his hand. "...Agdar will always do what is 'right.' He always will."_

 _He tightly held the letter as she spoke with a gentle, but strong conviction in her voice. Jack swallowed harshly, feeling slightly nervous with what he was hearing from her. She spoke as if she knew of his betrayal to the Winters. "I - ...I'll do my best to protect both Elsa and Anna," he answered, prompting Idun to smile ardently at him._

 _"...I know...that you did what you thought was right, but don't follow the path he went down. You're a gentle boy, Jack...who's growing up to be an admirable man." She took his hand, the one that held the letter she handed him, and very carefully, she closed his fingers around the piece of paper. "You'll understand everything. I know you will."_

 _He blinked and in that brief second, he no longer saw Idun standing before him, but instead - Elsa. She had an innocent, beautiful smile across her serene face and her eyes stared back at him lovingly. However -_

 _Jack looked back down to his hand and his eyes widened in horror when he saw an inky black sand surround the letter, engulfing his hand, and crawling up his arm. He let out a frightened cry, trying to draw back, but was held by the wrist._

 _"Jack…"_

 _He raised his head and his brow furrowed, eyes wild with terror when he saw Sera's grotesquely burnt face staring back at him with a malicious grin spread across her doll-like face. She giggled lowly, growing in volume as her grip tightened around his wrist. "I love you…" she murmured, leaning up to press a kiss on his neck. Her nails dug into his wrist like barbed wire, drawing copious amounts of blood that flooded the very ground that he stood on._

 _"...do you love me too?"_

* * *

With a start, he awoke, his bright blue eyes shooting open. Jack gasped, his mouth agape and drawing in large gulps of air as if he had just ran a marathon. He found himself lying in the hospital bed, the pillow beneath his head drenched in a cold sweat. With a breathy sigh, he brought his hands up to his face and he held them there, almost in tears over the terrifying nightmare. It felt all too real to him.

He nearly would have lost it had it not been for the sound of the door to his room opening up, distracting him from his disturbing thoughts.

"Jack…?" he heard Elsa's soft voice.

He snapped his head over to her direction, still in the state of terror from his nightmare. It took him a while to bring himself back to reality and to realize that Elsa was staring at him with the greatest amount of worry.

She tightly held a large bouquet of white flowers closely to her chest before she calmly approached his bedside. Her eyes averted somberly off to the side, avoiding his impassively curious gaze. "You don't have to talk to me if you don't want to - again," she muttered, gently handing him the bouquet of flowers.

Jack, very slowly, sat himself up, careful not to agitate the various tubes and needles still stuck into his arms. He glanced up at Elsa briefly, then back down at the flowers.

The blond's heart sped up when she saw him make some type of movement, an acknowledgement of her existence for the first time ever since he was bed-ridden. She flinched slightly when his hands brushed against hers as he took the bouquet of flowers into his arms. Elsa moistened her dry lips before speaking to him again.

"They're camellias," she stated gently.

Jack blinked in surprise, coming to realization of what he was hearing, seeing, and touching with his own hands.

"Someone a while back...told me that these are resilient and strong flowers. They're beautiful too, aren't they?" she asked, smiling as she watched him staring at the bouquet. Elsa's smile fell to that of a halfhearted, broken one as she tried her best to control her voice. "...It'll do its best to live on…"

The white haired man bowed his head, closing his eyes solemnly. He drew in a bit of air, filling his lungs as he recited along with her -

".. _.and so will you._ "

Elsa stared down at him in shock, hands trembling slightly as she saw him raise his head to look up at her - directly in the eyes. Sapphire blues met with icy blues as the two remained frozen in silence for the longest time. It was Jack who finally broke it by turning his head back down to the flower bouquet. He ran his bandaged hand over the shiny wrapping material, rubbing a silky petal in between his fingers as he muttered out a soft, barely audible, "thanks."

The sound of his voice was heard to her like the sweetest melody. She quickly turned away. "Y - You're welcome…" she said awkwardly. Her bottom lip trembled and in a sudden burst of overwhelming emotions, she ran out of the room. So caught up in the moment and the swell of relieving emotions, Elsa forgot that there were large windows where she could be clearly seen, and she cried loudly.

She cried like a little child, bringing her hands up to her eyes and letting her cold tears run over her smooth knuckles. Her shoulders heaved with each great breath she drew in. Amidst her crying, she coughed, trying to control herself, but with very little avail. She was in a mixture of relief, happiness, and pent-up sorrow. It was a bittersweet feeling, but she welcomed it after a week of deafening silence.

As she wept, Jack sat inside, witnessing it all in full-view. He turned away after a while, his eyes falling back onto the soft white camellias.

The white color was imprinted into his mind as he whispered, "...why are you crying for my sake…when _I'm_ the one that failed you...?"

* * *

"So...he'll be okay?" Toothiana asked the psychologist curiously.

"For the most part. Like my colleagues told you already, he's healed up pretty well physically and in such a short amount of time, but mentally - " the doctor made a little grimacing face. "We'll see. I'm requiring that he come back every week for therapy so that I could further analyze his condition. We think it's PTSD, but we won't know for sure since it looks like he's still in a state of shock. He's shown some improvement the past week however. Starting eating larger meals and of course, started conversing with people again. That's a start, right?"

Elsa glanced at the windows to Jack's room, which were now covered with a thick curtain to give him some privacy as he changed out of his hospital robes and back into his usual clothes. Although both she and Toothiana insisted to him that it's fine for him to wear some comfortable sweats and a hoodie, he strongly insisted that they bring him his bodyguard uniform. Seeing as how he was not budging from that decision, Elsa brought him the clothes he wanted to wear without another debate.

"Just tell him to take it easy for the next couple of weeks - " the doctor stopped when the door to the hospital room opened up, revealing Jack all dressed up in his neat suit.

"Jack - " Toothiana said with the slightest bit of relief as she approached him, gently touching his arm.

The doctor cleared her throat, drawing their attention back towards her. She faced Jack and smiled gently. "I'll see you back here in a week. You take care of yourself, Jack."

"Thank you," he replied back, a faint smile upon his fatigued face.

As the doctor left, Toothiana and Elsa walked by his side, escorting him out of the hospital.

"Are you okay to walk?" the green haired woman asked, a slight limp in her step as she walked with him.

He quickly took notice over it and asked back, "...are you okay walking like that?"

"Of course!" she responded cheerfully. "I'd rather walk with a limp than be confined in that wheelchair for another week." Toothiana smiled when she saw Jack letting out a dry chuckle. She felt as if he was slowly returning back to his usual, playful self.

As they stepped into the elevator, Elsa looked up at him and asked worriedly, "are you sure you're okay in those clothes?"

"Yeah," Jack gave her a fleeting, reassuring smile. "I'm fine."

Despite what he said, Elsa thought he hardly looked 'fine.' He had dark circles underneath his eyes and his cheeks were more thinned out due to not being able to properly eat anything other than unappetizing hospital food for the past week. His skin seemed more pale than usual, almost white as paper due to the lack of time he spent outside for the past month. Although he was discharged from the hospital, he definitely had a long road ahead of him towards full recovery and Elsa had every intention of staying by his side until he was well.

She shot a look over to Toothiana, who quickly avoided her prying gaze. The blond knew that she was trying to ignore, or perhaps, delay the fact that she had to tell Jack eventually about Manny's decision. Unfortunately for them, he had decided that Jack needed to be cast out from the Guardians. His act of betrayal of something unforgivable in his eyes.

When the three of them made it outside, they were immediately met with the blistering cold winter air, not that it bothered either Jack or Elsa. She peered over at him and gave a little smile when she saw his facial expression loosen up, relaxing at the sight of snow floating lazily down to the earth. "It snowed a lot while you were recovering," she stated, happy that he was finding some relief after the weeks of hell he endured.

A bloom of white vapor flowed out from his mouth as he looked up at the light gray skies. "I see…" he whispered, staring at the snow as if it was something intriguing that he had never seen before in his life. It had been weeks since he was actually outside and Elsa knew that he was relishing his first taste of freedom since a long time.

She smiled fondly at him and whispered gently, "let's go home. Everyone's waiting for you."

* * *

"Oh, Jack!"

Wendy was the first to offer him a warm welcome, running up to him the minute he stepped through the front doors of the mansion. She threw her arms around him, laughing heartily at the young man's return.

Although he was more than happy to see the elderly maid as well, he winced at her sudden embrace.

"Oh no," she gasped softly, drawing back worriedly. "I'm sorry, Jack. I was just so caught up in the moment that I didn't realize - "

"It's fine," he said, smiling at her. "I'm just still not fully recovered."

"Of course, of course! I should have known," the maid rambled on nervously. "Would you like anything? Any cravings? I know hospital food isn't always the best. I can cook you up anything you want to eat," she insisted, trying to be helpful.

Jack looked off past her head, thinking for a moment before answering promptly, "anything's fine."

Wendy seemed to be taken off-guard by the broad answer. "Are you sure?"

He smiled modestly at her and said, "I'd probably enjoy your cooking even if you fed me cockroaches."

"Don't give her any ideas now," Simon chimed in with a soft chuckle as he placed his hat and scarf on one of the coat racks by the door.

Wendy gave a light scoff at the elderly driver's quip. "I'll prepare a nice dinner for everyone then," she said happily, looking towards Toothiana.

Widening her pink eyes, Toothiana blushed a little and shook her hand in front of her. "Oh no, you don't have to! I don't mean to intrude - "

Elsa gently pinched the sleeve of the older woman's white trenchcoat, smiling when their eyes met. "You should stay, Toothiana," she offered up generously, "just think of it as a 'thank you' and...as a parting gift."

"But - " Her gaze fell, nervously glancing at Jack once in awhile. Elsa quickly picked up that she was starting to feel guilty over what was going to happen to him.

Before the platinum blond could say anything else, she was interrupted by a familiar voice.

"Tooth - " Everyone turned to face Bunnymund, who had emerged from the lounge room, along with Astrid. He also seemed to avoid Jack's eyes as he spoke directly with the green haired woman only. "You didn't tell him, did you?"

When the short woman remained silent, turning her head away to try and distance herself from the upcoming conflict that was just simmering below the surface, the tall Australian man sighed tiredly.

"Frostbite needs to know, Tooth."

Jack furrowed his brow in confusion, stepping towards Bunnymund. "Needs to know what?" he questioned with the slightest level of hostility.

Sensing the rising tension in the air surrounding them, Elsa quickly asked Wendy and Simon to leave them alone. Once the elderly servants left the entrance hall, the blond avoided Jack's inquiring gaze as she muttered, "let's all go talk somewhere private. Okay?"

* * *

The air was so thick and heavy with an overbearing pressure that Elsa thought she could practically feel it weighing her down. She carefully surveyed the situation as everyone either stood or sat around the small seating area in the large ballroom. They were all in silence for a good amount of time before Bunnymund let out a grunt.

"Well I guess I'll be the bearer of bad news then - "

"We don't have to do this, Bunny," Toothiana said with an unwavering breath.

The older man gave her a slanted gaze. "Of course we have to. What? You think ignorance is bliss?"

"No, that's not what I mean!" the green haired woman suddenly exclaimed. She placed her hands neatly upon her lap once more, trying to regain her composure. "...Jack can know...but we don't have to abandon him."

The white haired man in question shot them both a scrutinizing look behind narrowed ice-blue eyes. "What's going on?" His voice sounded weak, but it grew in volume as his frustration increased. "What aren't you guys telling me?"

Toothiana sighed, closing her eyes gently. "Please don't misunderstand our intentions, Jack. We love you - and we care about you. If we had a choice in the matter...we'd like a different outcome."

Jack remained silent, darting his eyes around each and every person in the room, waiting for an answer.

It was finally Astrid who rolled her eyes and said, "fine. I'll do it, since everyone's too scared of hurting you." In an almost careless tone, she pushed herself off of the armrest of the sofa she was leaning up against and faced him. "You're no longer a Guardian," she said with brute, blunt honesty.

At first, Jack cocked his head slightly to the side, wondering if he had even heard her right. With narrowed eyes, he asked incredulously, "...Excuse me?"

The golden blond stared at him, almost arrogantly, and replied with, "Manny decided that what you did was unforgivable. He doesn't want you around anymore."

Toothiana immediately made a horrified face with how roughly Astrid worded things. "Stormfly - !" she sharply told her, only to be ignored.

Jack set his fatigued eyes into a deadly glare at the blond. "Is that what he said?" he asked with a smoldering anger in his voice.

Astrid quickly picked up on this and scoffed at him. "Why are you even questioning it? Isn't it obvious that this is what happens to those that betray another's trust?" She sneered when he drew back a little, affected by what she said. "What? You thought the Guardians were _too stupid_ to figure it out?"

"Don't insult them like that!" he shot back.

"Aren't you doing the insulting yourself by thinking that you could actually get away with it? _Or_ \- is it that you thought they would just overlook what you've done and forgive you? In that case, you just think that they're naive and you took advantage of that kindness."

"Astrid - !" Elsa exclaimed, thinking at the argument was getting too out-of-hand.

Jack cut in, ignoring everyone else and only focusing in on the aggressive, female bodyguard. He stepped forward in an act of dominance and said through clenched teeth, "you don't know the first thing about me!"

She set her blue eyes on him in a cool smugness. "...I know that you're a _traitor_ \- "

Everyone reacted when Jack threw the first punch at Astrid, who caught his fist in her gloved hand with ease. She held him there, smirking at his display of aggression.

"Did I strike a nerve?" she questioned him, roughly throwing down his fist.

Jack bared his teeth at her, regretting the fact that he let his anger get the better of him. He watched as she languidly unbuttoned her blazer and shed the article of clothing.

"Fine," she announced, holding her blazer in one hand as she walked out into the center of the large ballroom. Turning sharply on her heels to face the group once more, she tossed the jacket over her shoulder and boldly stated, "if you want to settle this with a fight, then I'd be more than happy to do so."

Bunnymund sharply yelled out, " _Oi_ , Stormfly! You're stepping out of line - !" He was interrupted by Jack, who accepted the challenge.

He took off his blazer and tossed it onto one of the empty sofas. He kept his eyes on the young woman, set in a fierce determination despite his weakened state, as he walked out onto the ballroom floor. The soles of his dress shoes made a light tapping noise as he stood several feet away from Astrid, who stared at him with a mocking amusement in her eyes.

"Huh," she said in a light scoff, flashing him a lopsided grin. "Alright then, since you've accepted - how about we make this more interesting? If you can beat me, I'll let you stay, but - if you lose, you have to leave - permanently."

Elsa stood up from her seat on the sofa and shouted, " _enough,_ Astrid! I already made my decision - !"

"This isn't your call, Princess," Astrid responded, keeping her eyes haughtily on Jack. She smirked when she saw him roll up the sleeves to his dress shirt, preparing himself. "...This is more of a chance to see who's a more worthy enough bodyguard for the future CEO of one of the most powerful financial corporations in Burgess. There's no room in this world for those that are weak."

Toothiana looked to Bunnymund at the escalating situation and hissed, "stop her, Bunny! She seems to answer to you the most!"

His minty green eyes hardened into a cold glare as he stared at the two bodyguards about to square off. "Maybe this is the best way to settle this situation. Neither side is willing to give in with just a verbal discussion...maybe a harsh taste of reality will wake both of them up."

She grit her teeth. "Jack's clearly at a disadvantage! He's not fully recovered yet! ...You know that!"

Bunnymund did not answer her and simply kept his eyes on the ensuing fight. Eventually, he muttered, "Frostbite _needs_ to know…"

Wild-eyed, Toothiana turned her attention back to Astrid and Jack, knowing that it was too late to stop the fight when she saw Astrid toss her blazer onto the floor behind her.

As soon as the article of clothing hit the ground, the female bodyguard held her fists out in front of her and said with a confident smirk, "come! Let's see what you're made out of, Frost!"

And she lunged forward without a moment's hesitation.


	27. The Letter

**Marionette**

 **Chapter 27 - The Letter**

 _Warnings: Violence_

* * *

 _"No matter what, you must stay by her side. He will persuade you, but you mustn't fall for his words like I did. It's too late for me to help her Jack, but it's not too late for you..."_

* * *

He grit his teeth as pain shot through his body. Jack coughed weakly as he fell to his knees, holding his throbbing abdomen. His eyes started to lose focus, his vision blurring the longer he stared at the polished marble tiles beneath him. Being discharged from the hospital earlier that day, Jack was still in recovery. He knew it was foolish of him to accept her challenge to this fight, but he had his pride as a bodyguard to upkeep.

At the sound of a soft chuckle, he raised his head and promptly glared at the young woman before him.

Astrid sneered arrogantly as she slowly paced the floor a few feet away from him. "If that's all you got, Frost...then I'm afraid you're hardly qualified to be a Guardian, much less a bodyguard for one of the top reigning CEOs in the country." She tightly pulled the black leather gloves over her hands as she smirked.

Jack set his jaw and forced himself back on his feet. He staggered, grunting as he held a hand over his side. She was fast, able to land a sharp punch to his already broken rib. It hurt immensely, but he endured it. The pain was nothing if it meant that he could win.

Elsa looked on with a mixture of worry and anger swimming in her eyes. She tightly clenched her fists and snapped her head over to Toothiana and Bunnymund. "How could you let this go on?" she questioned the Australian man with a sharp tongue. "The situation could have easily been resolved with a calm discussion!"

"You really think so, Winters?" he asked, keeping his eyes glued on the two bodyguards getting ready to go at each other again. "...Stormfly and Frostbite - she's _aggressive_ while he's _passive_ , almost complete opposites in terms of personality, but they're both stubborn like a bull when it comes to the issue of their pride and will do anything to defend it. Stormfly questioned his loyalty towards you and us, which is the source of his pride."

Toothiana chimed in. "If he's going to such extents to show his loyalty towards us, isn't this enough?" She faced Bunnymund. "Jack accepted Astrid's challenge knowing that his body isn't capable of keeping up. Isn't that action alone enough?" she reiterated, silently urging the male Guardian to help her in stopping the fight from escalating.

Elsa hardened her gaze, taking action on the situation. "I'm calling it off. I'm not letting these two fight it out like uncivilized animals - "

" - _Don't_."

She wrinkled her brow and turned her head over to the sound of Jack's voice. She shot him an incredulous look. "Jack," she urged him, stepping closer to the white haired man, "stop. You're in no condition to be fighting her - " Elsa stopped, staring in disbelief when she saw Jack blatantly ignoring her and going forward with his attacks on Astrid. "Jack!" she shouted at him angrily.

He let out a yell as he pulled back his arm, seemingly aiming to land a punch on the female bodyguard, only to change his attack the very last second as he approached her. Swiftly, he spun on the heel of his foot and gave a sidekick to her stomach. The blond staggered back after she got hit, grunting from the brief pain. She barely had any time to react when Jack took advantage of the opening she presented him and landed a clean punch across her face.

Astrid held a hand up to her injury, taking a few steps back away from him, and glared vehemently for a brief moment before her lips curled into a lopsided grin. She managed to stand up straight once more, watching him as he panted with much difficulty while holding his side again. "Pretty impressive that you're able to move that quickly even with your body not in top condition," she commended him, though there was a snarkiness apparent in her tone. "But - I'm a bit disappointed that you relied on such a _cheap_ tactic to try and beat me. Pulling a feint punch?"

Jack saw her spit out a bit of blood from her mouth before readying herself for her next assault. He brought his fists up, grunting softly as he did so when pain shot through his body from his broken rib. He made a mental note to end this as quickly as possible. Not only was his body almost about to give out on him, but this girl was tough. He narrowed his eyes at her as the two slowly rounded each other, waiting for one to make the next move. _'If this fight drags on any longer...I'll be at a disadvantage,'_ he thought to himself.

Based on her attacks so far, he deduced that she primarily fought with her fists and relied on her upper body strength. The complete opposite of him who used his legs more rather than fight with his fists.

 _'Without my staff...I can't cover for my upper body.'_ Jack drew in a slow breath and exhaled through his mouth as he tightened his fists. _'I'll have to end this within the next move,'_ he mentally concluded, coming up with a rough strategy.

The gold - blond haired woman charged in first. She confidently threw a barrage of punches, forcing him back as he was left to only dodge them. Jack then focused in on one of her attacks and used her strength against her.

He grabbed a hold of her arm as she threw a punch and brought her up and over, effectively flipping her over his shoulder. It put a great strain on his body, but he managed to slam her down onto the floor effectively.

Astrid coughed, having the wind knocked out of her so suddenly. However, she pushed her body to its greater limits and set her jaw as she used her legs to push herself up. Planting her free hand firmly on the ground, she brought herself up to a handstand and swung her legs down towards Jack, prompting him to let go of her other arm to avoid the attack.

She stood up straight, but barely had any time to react to a kick aimed at her head. Instinctively, to protect herself, she brought her arm up to block Jack's roundhouse kick. A mistake on her part that she instantly regretted once his foot made contact with her forearm, effectively breaking the bone.

Jack pulled back, momentarily letting down his guard when he saw her cradling her broken limb. He felt slightly concerned, wondering if he had seriously injured her. However, the feeling of concern was short-lived when in a blink of an eye, he saw her snap around and bring back her uninjured arm. The white haired man widened his blue eyes as soon as her fist connected with the upper section of his abdomen.

The pain that he felt was intense, numbing his mind and practically knocking the air clear out of his lungs. He could feel her fist almost dig into his diaphragm before he fell back onto the ground in sheer agony. Jack laid himself out on his back, gagging as he fought for air. His blue eyes widened in pain, his entire body petrified from having the wind knocked right out of him.

Elsa reacted as soon as he fell to the floor. "Jack!" She ran to his side, along with the other two Guardians, and tried to help him up. Elsa rolled him over onto his side, where he managed to prop himself up with one arm before letting out a suffocating gag, spewing a small dose of bright red blood onto the clean marble tiles. She trembled at the sight and directed her anger towards Astrid, who stood over them, watching with an impassive gaze. "You went way too far!" she vehemently yelled.

Astrid's eyes reflected a cold disregard to Jack's suffering that she directly caused. "He broke my arm - "

" - You nearly _killed_ him!"

Toothiana looked on worriedly as she knelt down beside Jack as well. She heard his gasping groans and pained convulsions as a few more spots of blood fell from his mouth and onto the ground. "Miss Winters - Astrid," she said, drawing the attention of both women. "We should get him to the hospital - _now_."

* * *

 _Worried_ would be a huge understatement for what Elsa was feeling as she let her eyes linger upon Jack's unconscious form lying in the hospital bed - yet again.

"He'll be fine," the doctor answered her, trying to ease their worries. "Even experienced boxers can get knocked unconscious with a direct hit to the solar plexus. It's not life threatening, but it can knock anyone out cold if enough force was behind it. He should regain consciousness in a few hours. Afterwards, he can be discharged and a few days of bed rest is recommended."

"Thank you, Doctor," Toothiana said gratefully.

The two women, along with Bunnymund, glanced at Jack, before looking towards each other. It was Elsa who spoke up first, "I don't want her anywhere near me or Jack," she said in a cold tone.

"And what will you do about a bodyguard?" Bunnymund said with a raised eyebrow.

"If Jack is unable to protect me, then I'd rather hire a dozen security guards than have someone like her around," Elsa muttered hatefully. Her eyes rested on Jack and she slowly walked up to his bedside. "...You can take her back and both of you can leave - _for good_."

"Miss Winters - " Toothiana said softly, concerned about the dark tone that laced Elsa's voice. She reached out to touch the young woman's shoulder, only to have her hand be lightly shoved away.

"Please...I thank you two and all the Guardians for aiding in Jack's search, but - _just_ leave us alone," she muttered, never once looking back to either Toothiana and Bunnymund.

"Winters - " The gray haired man seemed hesitant, but said it anyways. "We only tried to do what's best. We told you, we don't want to do this to him either - "

Elsa closed her eyes quietly and muttered, "...please leave."

Both of the Guardians drew back slightly, wary of the blond's silently cold tone in the way she spoke to them. They looked to each other as if the answer to the situation lie in one of their eyes, then back at Elsa.

"...We just thought this was the best way. Manny thought it would be for the best," Bunnymund muttered, lowering his head somberly. "We only wanted to help in the end."

Elsa drew out a long breath, pressing her lips tightly together as she tried not to let her conviction waver. "Haven't you done enough…?" She silently pulled up the stool beside the bed and sat down upon it as she gently took a hold of Jack's hand. "I don't need to form an alliance with the Lunanoffs once Manny revives his family's name. I will take Jack in - "

" - Winters - "

" - He needs me...and I need him." Elsa bit down on her bottom lip gently as a single tear rolled down her cold cheek. Her eyes rested on the unconscious young man and she whispered softly, "I don't care about anything else. If my name as a Winters is what's keeping me from being with him, then I'll gladly throw it away. There's nothing useful of being in such a prestigious family when its name is soiled in innocent blood."

"What are you talking about, Winters?"

Blinking away tears, Elsa muttered under her breath, "surely Manny Lunanoff must know what the Winters, my grandparents and my own parents, have done to his family."

Toothiana swallowed harshly, knowing fully well of what Elsa was about to say. Bunnymund on the other hand, remained completely confused as to what the young blond woman was saying to them. "...What did the Winters do to the Lunanoffs?" he asked with a level of scrutiny in his narrowed eyes.

"They had them killed," Elsa said coldly, recollecting the useful piece of information that Hans had told her, "and when my father knew of Manny Lunanoffs' existence, he had ordered him killed as well - only that he failed because of Manny's two noble bodyguards."

A pause as Elsa gently squeezed Jack's hand, tearfully.

" - Night and Katherine Overland were killed that night protecting their master," she said, crying softly as her grip around Jack's hand tightened. "Leaving behind their only son - Jackson Overland."

"Jackson - " Bunnymund furrowed his brow before the look of realization slowly spread over his face. A single word left his mouth. "...Frostbite?" He looked over to Toothiana, shocked with the revelation, only to see that she had a solemn look upon her delicate face. "Tooth," he asked, "you knew about this?"

"...Hans Isles told us the day before he got killed," she quietly murmured, hugging herself tightly. She shot a look of desolation over to Bunnymund and told him, "Miss Winters can't just leave him, Aster." Her pink eyes glanced towards Elsa, a look of regrettable sadness prominent on her face.

"Not only do I love him," Elsa said, bringing Jack's hand up to her lips. She gently kissed his knuckles and whispered against them, " - but my family was directly responsible for the death of his parents. My family was the reason why he had to live a life of loneliness, but I'm never going to leave his side...I'm _never_ going to let him feel that way ever again."

* * *

 _"Both of the bodies inside the car was burnt beyond recognition…but we made an ID based on the personal possessions we found in the car. We were lucky to at least be able to salvage those."_

 _Jack solemnly flickered his ice-blue eyes over to Wendy, who started weeping softly into her hand. He looked back over to the two detectives that had come to inform them of the harrowing deaths of Agdar and Idun Winters. They met his eyes, then apologetically turned back to Wendy._

 _"We sincerely apologize for your loss - "_

 _" - What's going on?"_

 _The white haired man turned around and saw Elsa standing at the top of the large double staircase. She stared down at everyone in the entrance hall, confusion carved deeply into her face._

 _"Elsa - " Jack moved up to approach her, only for his eyes to widen in shock when he saw her walk right through him. In complete shock over what happened, he wildly turned around, facing the young blond girl, only to see that she was now in the arms of his former, 18 year old self. His chest heaved up and down, taking in large gulps of frigid cold air as he stared at this phenomenon._

 _Almost ominously, he saw himself raise his head, an impassive look in his former self's eyes before a crooked smile tugged at his lips. He spoke, but not in his own voice, but rather - a voice that Jack was all too familiar with._

 _"I don't take kindly to traitors, Jack." It was the same, eerie voice as the man that ordered him to kill Elsa._

 _Jack took a step away from the image of his eighteen year old self, petrified with fear by the mere sound of the man's voice._

 _"You had a choice to set things right - for me, for your dead parents," he murmured, gently hugging the young Elsa close to him. He lovingly stroked the top of her head before his hand trailed down. With cold, distant blue eyes, his former self peered up at him and a dark smirk crossed his face. "The Winters deserve to suffer for once, don't you think so? After all the lives they ruined - "_

 _"Stop…" Jack whispered warily, seeing his hand wrap around Elsa's thin neck._

 _" - They deserve this."_

 _"Stop - !" He saw his hands tightening around the young girl's neck and in a split second, he heard the gruesome sound of the crunching of bones, her neck snapping. Jack stared in complete horror as the young Elsa's body was carelessly tossed aside like a lifeless ragdoll._

 _His former self chuckled, his gaze brimming with malicious intent as he stared at Jack. "It's that easy to kill her." The white haired man froze to the spot, still focused on her body lying helplessly on the floor. He then saw his former self step forward, moving in close, and leaning up to whisper in his ear. In a smooth drawl, he murmured, "...now it's your turn."_

 _Jack flinched with a soft gasp, only to see that as the person in front of him pulled away. The image of his former self changed into that of Elsa. She had fully blossomed into a beautiful young woman and she smiled innocently at him as she leaned up against his chest with a peaceful disregard to the horrified expression he wore. Jack's hands trembled as he slowly wrapped his arms around her thin frame, holding her closely to him._

 _'...now it's your turn.' His voice echoed inside of his head._

 _Suddenly, a spray of bright red blood dirtied his face as he stood there in complete catatonic shock. Jack saw Elsa's body fall to the floor before him with a dull thump. His blue eyes were widened with a frigid panic, watching the blood pool beneath her head. He darted his eyes down to the gun he held in his right hand. His pale skin was stained in sprays of red blood - her blood - and the air around him was heavily saturated with the burnt scent of gunpowder._

 _He killed her so easily - with just a single shot to the head._

 _His breathing grew more frantic. His mind unraveling rapidly at the fact that he slaughtered her so smoothly. Once the full gravity of the situation began weighing down on him, Jack stared at the blood that now touched the soles of his shoes. His pupils dilated at the sight of the crimson red liquid staining Elsa's light teal colored gown in blooming patches._

 _"Why would you kill her, Jack?"_

 _He drew in a sharp breath and raised his head, seeing Idun standing over her daughter's dead body. The brown haired woman stared at him with a calm, but deadly glare. He could practically see the anger just simmering within her small body as she clutched a pure white letter in her hand._

 _"You promised - "_

 _" - I'm sorry! This...This wasn't what was supposed to happen! - " He froze when another loud gunshot rang out, a bullet hole appearing in the middle of Idun's forehead as she staggered back and fell in a lifeless heap beside her daughter. Jack shivered, eyes widened in pure terror when he came to a realization that it was himself that had fired the weapon - killing them both._

 _It was a massacre, a bloodbath._

 _"Good job, Jack," he heard the man's voice again. "Doesn't revenge feel good?" he said with a dark chuckle._

 _He stared, a terrified gasp escaping his mouth as he watched both Elsa and Idun bleed out from their fatal wounds. The letter that Idun once held was now on the floor beside her lifeless hand, its pure white surface being tainted with blood._

 _Horrified by what he had done, Jack took a staggering step back, in pure shock of what he had done, and let out a single hoarse scream._

* * *

"...Jack…!"

Elsa saw his eyes snap open, relieving him from the frantic nightmare he was suffering from. She looked on worriedly by his bedside as he seemed to nervously dart his eyes all around the hospital room before letting them rest on her. For a while, she stared deeply into his wild blue eyes, trying to calm him down.

He looked at her as if she was a ghost, someone that should not be there.

"Jack," she called out to him again, softly, gently touching his clammy, bandaged hand.

His eyes went to their intertwined hands and almost experimentally, he gave her hand a squeeze, as if to validate that she was real and that this wasn't a continuation of his horrific nightmare. "Elsa," he breathed out, trembling just ever so slightly. Jack looked away, using his other hand to hold his sweat lined forehead.

"You looked like you were in pain," she said worriedly.

"...Was I?" he replied in a wispy, throaty voice, letting out a humorless laugh. His entire body felt drained of energy and absolutely weak.

"I'll go find a nurse. You sound like you need water - " As Elsa stood up, she felt his grip on her hand tighten, a silent gesture for her to stay. She looked down at him, unable to resist the imploring light in his soft blue eyes. Without needing a verbal answer from him, she seated herself back down.

Realizing what he had done, Jack quickly let go of her hand, embarrassed that he had shown such a needy side of him towards her. "S - Sorry, I just - I don't know what came over me." He drew out a slow breath, trying to erase the images of his nightmare from his mind. They haunted him, especially the one where he killed Elsa in cold blood. He let out a dry chuckle, trying to laugh it off, but it was all in vain.

Elsa saw his uneasiness and inner turmoil. She reached back out for his hand and grasped it tightly, careful not to disturb the bandages that he had wrapped around his burn mark. His fingers felt cold and clammy, even the bandages felt a little bit damp. "Jack," she started, her voice reflective of a gentle calm. She darted her eyes around nervously, trying to gather up her thoughts to choose the best choice in words for what she wanted to speak to him about. Her teeth sunk into her bottom lip with an unspoken hesitance. She disliked the fact that she had to speak with Jack about the events that unraveled in the past 24 hours.

He sensed the apprehension in her speech and he bowed his head silently for a while, pensive as to what he should say to her as well. Finally, he offered up a compromise to their silent struggle. "...Can we go outside? I think I'm okay now."

* * *

Elsa could see the first rays of the morning sun peeking out from behind the tall skyscrapers of downtown Arendelle. She could feel the cool late winter breeze refresh the skin on her face as she and Jack slowly made their way out of the hospital building. After a few nervous glances, she told him as she took out her phone, "I'll call Simon - "

" - Actually," he interrupted, facing her. "I'd like to take a walk."

She raised an eyebrow at his sudden and odd request, and she stared at him silently until he met her gaze.

He smiled - not happily, but a small smile - and told her in explanation, "I've just been lying down the entire time. I'd just like to stretch my legs."

"The doctor said you should be resting," she countered. Elsa furrowed her brow when it seemed like he was not providing her an answer. Instead, he acted as though he did not hear her.

"...Didn't you want to talk?" he asked her, catching her off-guard. When he did not hear anything from her, he sighed dismally. "I saw you hesitating earlier in the room." Jack dropped his gaze. "Are you still willing to keep me around?"

Elsa widened her eyes, staring at him as he gave her a fleeting glance. Without a sense of doubt, the young woman answered him passionately, "of course!" She pursed her small lips and told him in earnest, "why would I abandon you? Because of what Astrid said? Jack, you should know that I dismissed her - and the Guardians - "

" - Not that," he cut in, "you know what I mean." His voice was a soft murmur, laced with guilt. "I'm sure that you know by now what I've done...seeing as how you weren't surprised in the very least when Manny decided to cast me out from the Guardians."

She looked away, tightly clenching her bare hands. "...I don't know the whole story, but I know that...you had intentions on _killing me_."

"Then if you knew, why did you decide to go through such lengths to save me?" He gave a wry laugh. "You heard Astrid - I'm a _traitor_." The volume of his voice dropped to a soft mutter. His mind began flashing back to his gruesome nightmare. He felt a pang of fear strike his heart, pushing him to utter the next set of words. "It would have been better for you if I was dead. One less threat to worry about, right? ...You're safer without me."

Elsa clenched her bare fists tightly until her knuckles turned a pale white. Angrily, she snapped out, "why are you speaking like this, Jack? You're acting as if you want me to hate you." She silently searched his face for answers, only to see his sadness being hidden behind a mask of indifference. "Is that what you want for me to do then? To cast you out? To _punish_ you for your betrayal?" She slowed herself down before she let her emotions get out of control. Elsa steeled her nerves, panting as she stared up at him with a distressed look in her eyes. "...Do you want me to _hate_ you, Jack?"

He knew that wasn't what he wanted - _at all_ , but…

"You're too naive," he stated with blunt honesty. He did not wait for her to respond. "The fact of the matter remains that I betrayed you, the Guardians, everyone...and how you choose to continue to trust a traitor like me is naive." The answer he received from her caught him off-guard.

"I'm not naive...I just know who to trust."

Jack blinked, staring at her in complete bewilderment.

"...And I trust you." Elsa stepped close to him, bringing him in for a gentle hug. She rested her head on his chest, listening to the slow tempo of his beating heart. "Don't tell me it's misplaced because you had plenty of chances to kill me, but you chose not to. You've said things that made me feel cherished by you." Her eyes fell to the snow covered sidewalk, somberly. "But…"

The white haired young man looked down at her, finding himself staring at the fine blond tendrils on the top of her head. He wished he had looked away before she turned her head up towards him because the look she gave him practically butchered his heart with a blade dripping with guilt.

"If being away from me will make you truly happy, then I'll be fine." She let out a mirthless giggle, one that further drove the knife deeper into his heart. "...Although...I have thought about it a bit more and I can't say that I'll agree to be killed by you, no matter how happy it might make you in the end. Unfortunately...I still want to be alive." Another dry laugh.

"...Sorry for being selfish."

Jack held his breath, stifling down the sinking feeling of remorse he felt when he heard such heartbreaking words from the girl he treasured so much. "...Why are you apologizing on my behalf?" he whispered in a harsh breath. Subconsciously, he brought his hand up to cup her cheek, running the pad of his thumb across the smooth plains of her flushed pink skin. It was something he felt like he needed to do for her, even if it was just a small gesture that was barely enough to encompass the overwhelming emotions he had towards her. He hesitated, his lips twitching slightly as it felt like an imaginary string was holding him back.

Elsa took it upon herself to close the distance between them. It was a soft, innocent kiss that barely lasted a full second. Just the mere brushing of their lips brought shivers running up and down his body, though he wasn't sure if it was pleasurable or not.

Before he could sort out his inner thoughts, Elsa kissed him again, this time more feverently.

Jack felt his knees nearly buckle out from underneath him and he took a step back, trying to reclaim his balance. He froze, suddenly finding all the bliss from this romantic action drain from his body. When he blinked his eyes, for a brief second, he thought he saw - not Elsa before him - but Sera. Before she could deepen the kiss any further, he quickly turned his head away, effectively breaking away from her.

She stared up at him, confused by his sudden action. "Jack…?" she questioned him quietly.

"I - I'm sorry," he stammered out, lying to her. "I think I need to go lie down again. I feel a little bit dizzy."

Elsa furrowed her brow slightly at how he avoided her eyes, as if he was ashamed or scared of her. However, she decided not to question it any further and instead, pulled out her cell phone. "I'll call Simon to pick us up then," she said with a little smile, trying to lighten up the mood.

"Mm," he grunted softly behind closed lips. Jack shot a half-lidded gaze down to the snow covered sidewalk and instantly felt regret bubbling up inside of him. 'What's wrong with me?' he asked himself, clenching and unclenching his fists. He glanced at Elsa, who was talking to Simon on her phone. He knew that he hurt her, very obviously breaking their kiss out of pure shock and disgust.

 _'Disgust…?'_

Jack dropped his gaze, a bleak negative energy taking over his conscious. A kiss from her was once one of the things that brought him joy, but now, it threatened to invade his mind and body with horrible memories of the abuse he endured under Sera.

He bit down on the corner of his lip until he drew blood.

It _disgusted_ him.

* * *

"Shall I make him some hot tea? We have some spare cold medicine as well," Wendy worriedly buzzed around Elsa like a bee as the young woman gently closed the door to Jack's bedroom behind her.

"I think he'd just like to rest, Wendy," she stated in a depressed mutter. "He must be tired after all that he's been through."

The elderly maid nodded. "Of course. He's been through so much the past month." Her eyes lingered on the young mistress, picking up on the uneasiness present on her face. Assuming that Elsa was uneasy because of Jack's condition, Wendy reassured her kindly, "he'll get better, Mistress. Like you said, he just needs to rest."

"Y - Yes."

A soft chiming bell rang throughout the hallways, indicating that someone was at the front door.

"Oh - I suppose I should go see who it is," Wendy said with a doting smile.

As Elsa watched the maid briskly walk towards the entrance hall, she turned her head over to Jack's bedroom one last time before she let out a dejected sigh. Although they were talking again, she wondered when things would get back to normal. She hugged herself tightly. Though he caused headaches for her whenever he pulled his immature pranks or told a silly joke, Elsa had to admit that she was missing that part of him. Nowadays, it was as if whatever he was hiding from her was slowly eating him up, killing that playful side of him by letting it suffocate in silence.

"Mistress?" she heard Wendy's voice calling out for her from down the hall, distracting her from her thoughts.

The platinum blond walked towards the maid, asking her, "what is it, Wendy?"

She seemed antsy, nervously clasping her hands together out in front of her. "That is…" she paused, "you have a guest…"

"Who?"

" - _Astrid Hofferson_."

Elsa's demeanor quickly changed at the sound of the poisonous name. Her face that was previously tensed up in worry, turned to tense up with a different emotion - anger. "I'll deal with her," she whispered, trying to keep herself in check so that she did not alarm Wendy.

The young heiress strode down the hallway, eyes set in a dangerous glare that would be able to shoot daggers if it was physically possible. Her anger swelled when she made it to the entrance hall and laid her eyes on the bodyguard in question. Her nails dug into the dark wood banister, the blunt edges of her fingernails grinding into the glossy surface. When Astrid noticed her arrival, she seemed oblivious or ignorant to the platinum blond's visible rage, foolishly trying to approach her with the humblest tone she could muster up.

"Winters - " she blurted out, watching as Elsa stormed down the stairs. "...I wasn't sure what would be a good time for me to drop by. I just wanted to say s - "

A loud slap resounded throughout the large entrance hall.

Astrid stared off into the distance, wide-eyed as she felt the slow burning sting of the slap spread across her left cheek. With her free hand, she tenderly rubbed the reddened area.

Elsa's shoulders heaved up and down accordingly with each intense, labored breath. Her blue eyes were narrowed in an unforgiving, icy cold glare, able to strike fear even in Astrid's apathetic heart. "... _Get out_ ," she seethed towards the female bodyguard.

"Winters - "

"Get out!" she repeated in a firmer tone. "I will call the police if you don't," she then threatened when Astrid remained unmoving.

"I'm trying to apologize!" the golden blond woman fired back, not appreciating the fact that she was met with hostility.

Elsa scoffed loudly. "You've got some nerve to come back here thinking that I'll be accepting your apology and just turn a blind eye to what you've done to Jack!"

"If I can't apologize to you, then can I at least speak with him?" Astrid immediately knew that was the wrong thing to say when she saw the anger flare up once more in Elsa's normally serene blue eyes.

In a dangerous, threatening tone, Elsa replied darkly, "you're not allowed anywhere near him."

"I just need to speak with him," the bodyguard shot back, her trademark, fiery temper rising to the surface. Her eyebrows scrunched up in irritation. "It's important business regarding the Guardians."

Elsa sharply turned on the heel of her beige slip-on shoes, tearing her eyes away from Astrid. "I've already decided to cut ties with them and Manny. I, nor Jack, have any interest in what they have to say anymore." She tightened her fists by her side and spat out, "leave. And don't make me repeat myself again, Astrid."

Seeing as how she was firm with his decision, Astrid decided not to pursue it any longer and tightly clenched the hand that was bound in a cast and arm sling. "Fine," she said curtly, pursing her lips into a frustrated frown. She gave Elsa a slight bow and turned to leave. "It's been a pleasure serving you for whatever short time it had been." Her gaze fell somberly, her voice following the changing mood. "...And I really am sorry for what I've done to you and to Frostbite."

Elsa kept her glare focused on the polished marble floors ahead of her until she heard the female bodyguard leave. Releasing the pent up emotions she kept inside of her, Elsa sighed exasperatedly and held her now throbbing head.

She hoped that this was a decision she would not regret.

* * *

She tapped her high green stilettos on the ground, occasionally looking left and right, up and down the paved running path of the now empty and dark public park. It was hardly a place for a woman to be out alone by herself, but Toothiana was more than confident that she could take on whoever dare tries to assault her. She pulled the thick black scarf she wore closely to the lower half of her face, feeling the sharp winter chill nip at her nose.

"Oi," she heard a familiar voice call out from the darkness.

The short woman turned her head over to the side and she slanted her eyes over at the tall, lanky man approaching her. "Bunny," she said, silently inviting him to come sit beside her on the park bench.

"Kinda dangerous to be out alone by yourself like this," he remarked, taking a seat beside her.

She scoffed lightly. "You know I'm more than capable of defending myself."

"Hm," he simply grunted, shoving his hands into the fleece lined pockets of his brown leather jacket. He leaned back, staring off straight ahead in silence, waiting for Toothiana to speak first and she did.

"...Are you really okay letting go of Jack like this, Bunny? I know you two weren't always on the friendliest of terms...but he did care for you and I know...you cared for him too."

He sighed heavily, bringing his leg up to rest it upon his knee. "Not this again, Tooth…"

"He was our family - he still is our family!" she retorted strongly, stopping when Bunnymund raised his hand up to stop her.

He closed his minty green eyes as he produced his usual pack of cigarettes from his pockets.

Toothiana waited, watching him as he lit up the cigarette and breathed in the smoke a few times before letting it out in a large, hazy billow. "I don't want to let someone dictate how I want to live my life again," she told him as he glanced at her impassively.

"We owe Manny Lunanoff for everything," Bunnymund muttered, blowing out another puff of smoke into the cold night air.

"I don't want to be chained down by his ideals, Aster!" she declared desperately. "I've spent so many years chained down by that monster of an ex and I thought that my life now was different! That I was actually the one in control, but I'm not. It was foolish of me to ever think that I was truly free…"

Bunnymund simply sat there, quietly listening.

"I am grateful towards Manny for giving me a home after my ordeal, for helping me realize my true potential and helping me get strong to protect those that need help, but I can't agree with what he's doing right now. Jack's hurting and for us to just abandon him when he needs us the most is cruel." Toothiana tightly gripped her knees, digging her nails into the fabric of the tight black pants she wore. "...I know you don't want to abandon him either, Bunny. I know you're lying right now."

He tapped some hot ash away from his cigarette and breathed out softly, forlornly looking off to the side to avoid looking at her. "You don't know that."

"You want to help him - just like how you helped your little niece all those years back." Toothiana saw him turn his head slightly over towards her and she knew that she was getting through to him.

"I'd hardly call it helping." The gray haired man pushed back some of his loose bangs that fell over his mint-green eyes. "I let that sick bastard of a step-father rape her because I couldn't believe that my little sister would marry a sick fuck like him. And when I did find out, it was too late by then. I let her die and like an impulsive idiot, I got myself arrested because I nearly beat him to death." He took his last puff of the cigarette and he put it out by pressing the hot end against the sole of his dark brown work boots. He carelessly discarded the cigarette onto the ground and muttered halfheartedly, "My sentencing was on the day of her funeral and I couldn't even give her a proper farewell." He dropped his head. "So - don't say things like I helped her, Thiana," he said in a diminishing mutter.

"Aster…"

"Same goes for Frostbite." he said, cutting in with a grunt as he stood up on his feet. A flicker of sadness passed through his green irises and his voice dropped a decibel. "...I always end up making things worse."

Toothiana wrinkled her eyebrows. "Then...are you scared of what might happen to Jack if you interfere? Is that it? Or…" she prodded, "is it because you're afraid of letting people down again?"

He did not answer her, simply standing there in a blank silence, quietly staring up at the night sky. He could not bear to provide her with an answer because the latter of what she said was true. Then he finally replied shortly, "let's go back, Tooth. It's getting cold."

"Actually, Aster - "

He stilled, watching her with curious eyes as she picked up a duffel bag that was beside the bench. Bunnymund never noticed it until now, with it being hidden by the darkness of the quiet park. "...What do you think you're doing, Thiana - ?"

The short woman tightly held the handle of heavy bag, holding all of her valuable possessions. "I won't be able to live with myself if I find out that something happened to Jack and I could have done something to prevent it. ...He needs people that care about him by his side right now."

"Manny's going to order that you come back," Bunnymund insisted. "He's going to be able to track you, you know. The tattoo you have - !" He stopped when he saw her unbuttoning her heavy trenchcoat. "Tooth…" he whispered softly with widened eyes. " _You_ \- "

"When I joined the Guardians, I thought I would be able to protect the people I love," she said, letting the trenchcoat slip off her shoulders. She popped open a button on the collar of her dress shirt and she pulled it down.

The gray haired man swallowed harshly when he saw a thick bandage covering the area where her fairy wing tattoo used to be - just below her collarbone. He knew that she burnt it off herself. A mixture of shock and disbelief stirred up inside of him as he watched her straighten out her clothes.

"...that is why I had no qualms with joining such a secretive organization that consisted of such an odd group of people. Despite all that...you were all like my family," she mused softly. The green haired woman winced slightly from the pain her burned off tattoo gave her as she placed the trenchcoat back onto her shoulders.

"...Why…?" He clenched his fists, breathing out his next words from behind gritted teeth. "Why would you go to such lengths to leave Manny? To leave _us_ \- ?"

Her soft, gentle voice squeaked out, abruptly cutting him off. "It's because of the state our group is in right now. We call ourselves the Guardians and take pride in providing the best security and protection services possible. And yet, we can't even protect one of our own when he's hurting. Manny should know how painful it must be to live without your parents, so I don't know why he's subjecting Jack to such cruelty." Toothiana hugged herself, trying to shield her small body from the incoming icy wind that stirred between her and the tall man, and to ease her ailing heart.

Bunnymund lowered his eyes, giving them a moment's pause before whispering out, "Winters doesn't want to see any of us. Where will you go?"

Toothiana giggled behind a delicate hand. "Are you worried about me, Aster? ...Well don't be. I'll stay at a motel for the night and come morning, I'll beg - I'll beg Miss Winters for forgiveness if that's what's going to convince her to take me in as her bodyguard."

She closed her eyes, trying to suppress the ache that grew inside of her chest. It was a tough decision, especially since Toothiana cared about Bunnymund and the others as much as she cared for Jack, but -

"...This is the right thing to do, Aster," she whispered, her green colored bangs gently tickling her forehead as another wind swept through the empty park. "This isn't about where my allegiances lie. This is about protecting the people I love. ...It's what I have to do as a _Guardian_."

He kept his eyes glued on the dirt pathway beneath his feet as he heard Toothiana give him a quiet, heartbroken farewell. His bleak gaze lit up, widening, just for a brief moment when he saw her come up to him, look him in the eyes, and stand up on the tip of her toes to place a fleeting butterfly kiss on his cheek.

"Take care of yourself," she murmured against his warm, peach colored skin. She let out a sheepish laugh as she stood before him, modestly holding the back of her head. "And thanks for pushing me around when I was in that wheelchair."

He did not know for much longer he stood there, but once he raised his head, he saw that he was all alone. His eyes fell back down to the ground where Toothiana once stood before him. A bitter, mirthless laugh rattled his throat as he pushed back his short gray bangs away from his face, sweeping them off to the side. His calloused hand lingered upon his cheek where she had kissed him. "...You decide to leave on that note, Thiana?" He smiled distantly at the ground, his mint - green eyes relaxing in content.

"...You're a _cruel_ woman."

* * *

The first therapy session he attended was less than helpful. It was bland and nothing happened. All he did was answer the psychiatrist's questions as if he was reciting a dull poem. His voice remained a monotone throughout the entire session at best, as he answered some simple questions and failed to recall certain memories of what happened to him the past few weeks.

The psychiatrist seemed indifferent to the things he told her, although he knew that she was carefully analyzing his answers with the utmost professionalism by scribbling away busily on her clipboard.

"...Jack - did you get that?"

"Sorry?" He blinked, completely confused with what the psychiatrist was referring to.

"I said, how about we meet again this Friday?" she repeated with an understanding smile. She seemed to keenly pick up on Jack's inner thoughts as she told him, "the first session is always a bit "boring," so to speak. It's best to go slow rather than plunge right into the problem."

Jack nodded, averting his interest to the card she was busily scribbling a time and date on.

"Just as a reminder," she told him, handing him the card as they both got up from their seats. Her inquisitive eyes stared at him for a while before commenting, "I assume you're getting enough rest at home?"

He stared at her as he shoved the appointment card into the pocket of his dark blue hoodie, quirking an eyebrow up at her question. "...Yeah," he replied apprehensively. "I am."

The middle-aged psychiatrist wrinkled her brow slightly at his answer, as if she was surveying him under a gaze of intense scrutiny. However, she did not push it any further and gave her head a sharp nod. "Right, then, take care and see you this Friday for another session."

Jack left her office, going over in his head as to why she suddenly asked a question like that, but his suspicions were immediately quelled once he reached the men's restroom. Upon pushing open the door, he was met face-to-face with his reflection. Jack vaguely heard the heavy door behind him swinging shut as he kept his focus solely on the mirror hanging above the immaculate sink.

Putting one foot forward in front of the other, he slowly walked up to the mirror, keeping his blue eyes glued onto his face. He looked - for lack of a better word - awful. He could see why the psychiatrist asked him that question previously.

His eyes seemed more sunken in, with dark circles prominently shading the area underneath them. Although he had been eating properly, he looked haggard with his pale skin seemingly even more pale, almost transparent looking, as of late. Jack groaned lowly, bowing his head over the sink as he held himself up with both arms. Not only did he look awful, but he felt like it too. There was a persistent pain inside of his head, but he ignored it and went about the past few days trying to hide the fact that he could nearly kneel over the next second.

Despite the icy wind chill forecasted for the weather outside, Jack turned on the sink and quickly splashed some cold water on his face. It brought him some momentary relief to his condition, but it was short-lived as the pain returned just a few seconds after he turned off the sink.

Cold droplets of water fell from the damp ends of his silvery white bangs. He let out a drawn out sigh, starting to find that the headache was getting worse the more he focused on it. Jack pushed himself away from the sink, raising his head and wiping the excess water from his eyes before opening them.

Suddenly, he gasped, his ice blue eyes widening in fear when he saw someone else in the mirror standing behind him. A dark shadow was casted over the man's eyes, obscuring them from Jack's line of vision. The malevolent grin spread across his pointed face as a dark chuckle resonated throughout the empty restroom.

"Jack…" he spoke to the young man, petrifying him in fear.

Jack wanted to look away, to scream, but every muscle in his body froze up. All he could do was stare at the man behind him as he leaned forward slightly, coming up closer to him.

"What will you do now? You've betrayed me, the Guardians, even your precious little Elsa. She may be keeping you for now, but you said it yourself - she's better off without you, isn't she? You're no good for each other," he drawled.

"...You're wrong. I need to protect her," Jack breathed out, flinching when the mirror in front of him suddenly split his face down the middle with a loud bang, as if a gun was fired in the confined space. The loud sound produced a ringing in his ears as he saw the bullet hole that punctured his reflection directly on his forehead, start to bleed with dark red blood.

" _Wrong_? Hm." The man chuckled amusedly. "You really think so, Jack?"

The white haired man blinked, shocked to see that the man was no longer there and as well as his reflection. Instead, he saw Elsa staring back at him in the mirror, the bullet hole in the mirror now positioned over her forehead. She looked spiteful as she spoke to him, blood slowly leaking out from the corner of her mouth as she did so. "...Why do you look at me like that, Jack?" she said with a hoarse voice, her words tumbling out of her throat with much difficulty as if she was on the verge of dying. "...Isn't this what you wanted all along…?"

Jack shook his head. "N - No! Of course not…! I _never_ wanted to kill you - !" He stilled when he felt a weight of a body in his outstretched arms. His eyes darted down, horrified to see that he was now carrying Elsa's dead body. Her thin arm dangled lifelessly and her entire body felt icy cold. She had dried blood caking her face and the plain white dress she wore was stained in copious amounts of blood.

He shuddered, blinking multiple times to try and snap himself out of this nightmare, hoping that he would soon wake up and find out that this was all a horrible dream. However, nothing changed. His knees buckled out from underneath him and he fell to the ground in a defeated slump.

He was tired. He felt like giving up if this was the only reality that was possible for him and Elsa.

"I'm not a traitor...I never.. _.never_ wanted to kill you," he whispered, cradling her dead body close to him. "I switched out the necklace that he wanted me to give you on your birthday and I hoped to end things then by my own methods, but then I was stupid enough to get caught. Your mother, Idun, she - even told me to stay by your side no matter what, but -" Tears leaked from his eyes as he let out an anguished, stifled cry into her hair. The grip he had on her arm tightened as he desperately wished for the familiar, comforting warmth of her body heat once more.

"...I'm sorry...Elsa," he cried, his broad shoulders heaving and shaking. Jack buried his face into the crook of her neck, overcome by the intense emotions that have unraveled by the harsh taste of reality he had been given. "I don't think I can protect you from _him_ …from the filthy world he created…I'm sorry - I'm sorry - _I'm sorry_ …"

 _' - because I'm slowly losing myself to it.'_

* * *

Relief swept through Jaime's thin-framed body when he saw Jack's eyes finally opening up, although weakly. His face, once frozen in worry, loosened up into a smile as he excitedly turned his head over to the few nurses that had crowded around them. "He's okay!" He turned back down towards Jack, who slowly began sitting himself up.

The white haired man caught the damp cloth someone had placed on his forehead as it fell to his lap. He looked at everyone that was gathered around him, squinting his eyes to straighten out his blurry vision.

"Jack," Jaime called out for him gently, touching the young man's shoulder.

He looked at the brunette, narrowing his eyes again in confusion. "Uhm - I - "

"Do you think you can stand?" he asked carefully, hoping not to alarm or frighten the man that looked like he was mentally barely hanging on by a thread. When he received a short nod from Jack, he smiled and addressed the worried nurses, "I can look after him."

Jaime waited to speak to Jack until all the nurses left the two sitting against the wall of a long hallway. "I found you passed out in the restroom," he informed him, waiting and watching Jack's expression carefully.

Trembling slightly, Jack held the damp towel in his hands with a loose grip. "I - I see," he stammered, still trying to bring himself back to reality after his harrowing hallucination that apparently caused him to pass out. He groaned under his breath, holding his throbbing head.

Jaime furrowed his brow, leaning in closer to his former childhood friend. "Are you sure you're okay, Jack?"

As he held his head, Jack casted a sideways glance over to the brunette and asked, "...how do you know my name?"

"Huh?" Jaime asked, taken aback by the sudden question. Flustered, the young man blushed a little, his freckled cheeks lighting up with a red blush. "We - Well...I - hm - how do I explain this without freaking you out?" He laughed sheepishly as he went back and forth, trying to form a coherent sentence as Jack gave him a scrutinizing look.

The longer Jack stared at the young man, the more a familiarity struck him. "...Have we met?" he whispered out, trying to put a name to the man's face.

Running his hand through his chestnut-brown hair, Jaime chuckled nervously. "Maybe once in the past," he said modestly. Once he settled down, he smiled ardently at Jack and told him, "we used to be best friends, Jack...before I disappeared I guess," he added in, another nervous laugh.

Blinking his curious blue eyes, he stilled as a swell of anxiety overcame him. "J - Jaime…?" he managed to breath out. He sat there in awe, wondering if he was still dreaming. Was this really his childhood friend? The one that approached him on that fateful day at the park playground despite the fact that Jack was shy and socially awkward?

"Hey Jack," he responded, laughing boyishly. "How have you been?"

The two elected to go to one of the atriums. Although Jack would have liked to leave the hospital, Jaime insisted that they stay for a bit longer, should Jack suddenly faint or grow weak again. They spoke about everything, touching upon every topic that crossed their minds. The longer they conversed, the more Jack felt as if they returned back to their childhood when the two were inseparable friends. He felt a spark of joy ignite within his heart that briefly chased away all the dark thoughts that had been plaguing him recently.

"Wow, so you've been working as a bodyguard!" Jaime said in awe, a light of excitement flashing in his hazel eyes. "That's so cool!" He seemed elated as he sat beside Jack on one of the benches, drinking away at a can of cold apple juice he had gotten from one of the vending machines.

Jack chuckled modestly, rolling his own can of juice in his hands slowly against his palms. "I don't know if I would necessarily use the word 'cool' for what I do. I mean - I think it pales in comparison to what you're planning to do."

The brunette young man let out a snort as he waved his hand. "Oh come on. Planning to be a clinical psychiatrist is hardly interesting stuff - unless I decide to sign up to work in some insane asylum someday." The volume of his voice dropped into a pensive whisper as Jaime stared at the smoothly paved concrete beneath his feet. He smiled, albeit sadly.

Picking up on the somber change in mood, Jack leaned forward a little, trying to get a better look at his friend's face. "...Jaime?"

He widened his eyes. "Huh? Oh no, sorry, it's just - nothing...well...maybe not 'nothing'." Jaime set the empty juice can on the ground beside his red Converse sneakers and laced his cold hands together. "...If I had a choice in the matter back then, I wish I never left Arendelle."

"Jaime…"

"I'm sorry, Jack...you know...for leaving you without saying anything. I didn't know how bad the situation was between my parents was until the day they went their separate ways." He let out a singular, desolate sigh. "I must have hurt you."

"How could you have possibly known, Jaime?" Jack consoled him gently. "That's not your fault. You were still a kid."

"Yeah, but...you know…" Jaime shrugged his shoulders sheepishly. "I still wish I could have done something more…" He let out a mirthless laugh, curling and uncurling his fingers together as he fought down the emotions that were bubbling up inside of him. "Maybe that's why I'm so driven to become a psychologist."

Jack watched his friend as he leaned back against the wooden bench with a great sigh. The warm vapor flowed out of his mouth as he did so.

"The divorce hit my mother the hardest," he started sullenly. "She kinda just - shut down after that, although she did her best to look strong in front of me and Sophie. But I guess her depression caught up with her in the end." Jaime paused for a bit before muttering, "...she died during my senior year of high school, a week before my graduation."

Silently, Jack took all of this information in, unsure of how to react to such devastating news. Jaime's mother was a kind, caring woman - perhaps the ideal, cookie-cutter image of a responsible mother. All Jack said in response was a heartfelt, "I'm sorry…"

"It's fine," Jaime forced a smile onto his face. "I guess if it wasn't for her, I wouldn't even have tried to pursue a career in psychology. I want to help people…since I couldn't help my mom." He turned back towards Jack, whom he looked at with concern. In an attempt to change the subject, Jaime quickly asked, "...are you sure you're okay?"

The two men stood up from the bench, with Jack nodding in response to his question. He picked up that Jaime did not wish to speak about his mother's untimely death any longer. "Yeah...I should be," he muttered.

Jaime pursed his lips, not sure how he should answer back to his friend's vague response. It was very obvious that Jack was not fine. He looked physically ill, although some color returned to his pale complexion in the form of a pink - red bloom of heat on his cheeks. "Do you need to drive yourself back home?" he asked, warily standing by Jack's side, on the ready if his friend should suddenly collapse again.

He felt slightly dizzy as he walked out of the atrium with Jaime, but he gently shook his head, trying to ignore the sickening feeling. "Uhm - yeah…I should probably head back actually." Jack took in a few deep breaths, trying to pick up his feet and not make it seem like he was about ready to kneel over.

"Then I'll drive!" he offered up.

" _Jaime_ \- "

"It's okay! I can just take the bus back once I drop you off," he said with a broad smile. "There's no way I'm letting you drive yourself back home in this condition."

* * *

Jack sat in the passenger seat of his car, looking out the window with a heaviness apparent in his eyes. He leaned back, trying to get comfortable as Jaime drove the car almost effortlessly, despite it being his first time driving his car. When Jack questioned it, trying to make a light conversation, the brunette simply laughed and said modestly that he used to work part-time as a valet for a high-end restaurant in downtown Arendelle before grabbing an internship at the hospital.

"I'm used to handling different types of cars," he told him as he turned up the heater in the car. He shot another concerned look over to Jack, seeing that his face had become even more flushed than he was back at the hospital. "...Do you want my parka? It's in the backseat," Jaime offered up, worried over Jack's worsening condition.

The white haired man held a fist over his mouth and coughed. "I'm - I'm fine. Don't worry," he croaked out, coughing again. He pulled on the collar of his blue hoodie so that it covered more of his neck. His breathing grew labored, but Jack squeezed his eyes shut, trying to force down the flu-like symptoms he was experiencing. Why was he getting sick? He rarely got sick and he made sure to bundle up every day.

When they arrived near the Winters' estate, Jaime pulled up to the side of the street and asked, "is it okay to park here?"

"Yeah," Jack murmured, peering over to see that the driveway gate was halfway open. "You could try to get the car into the driveway if you can - "

" - Hey," Jaime cut in, furrowing his brow as he looked at the car he was parked behind. "...Do you know her?" His eyes were fixated on a beautiful blond woman, clad in a professional suit, climbing out of the driver's side of a black Porsche. "She's kinda coming over here…" he whispered, feeling a little bit intimidated when the woman's eagle-like eyes focused in on Jaime.

Jack sat up in the car seat and immediately glared when he saw who it was. "...What the hell," he growled out as he got out of his car.

"- Frost," Astrid said as he approached him on the sidewalk. She seemed just as haughty and arrogant as ever and Jack wanted nothing more than to exact his revenge on her for injuring him so badly the other day. Her blue eyes went down to his clenched fists by his side and she stopped walking towards him, making sure that she was putting some distance between them. "...I know you're angry over what happened - "

"Angry…?" His voice was gravelly and hoarse, but he did his best to make sure that his mounting anger was apparent towards her. "Are you fucking kidding me, right now?" Jack was starting to see red.

Astrid drew back a little from the tone of his voice and his body language. She knew that if she was not careful, she could very well be caught in another physical fight with him. "Listen - " she said in a calmer tone. "I'm sorry for everything. It definitely wasn't in my place to tell you that kind of news, especially since I'm just 'lending' myself to the Guardians until the deal between the Lunanoffs and Haddocks goes through." She kept her guard up, even though Jack's anger seemed to edge off. "I got impatient and that's my fault," she confessed.

Jack, unwilling to let her slide by with just an apology, simply responded as if he had ignored her. "...What are you doing here then? I highly doubt you waited out here just to apologize to me."

She set her pink lips into a fine line. "Manny would like to speak with you," she said curtly.

His eyes widened slightly at what she said. He began to wonder if he even heard her correctly. Was the elusive head of the Lunanoff household finally willing to speak with him? It sounded too good to be true, prompting Jack to scoff as he sharply turned his head away from the female bodyguard. "Don't joke. Why would that guy waste his time with someone that he decided to cast out without a second thought?"

Jaime climbed out of the car, darting his hazel eyes back and forth between Astrid and Jack, wondering why they were arguing so heatedly.

Jack sharply turned away from Astrid and coughed. "If he wants to see me beg on my knees to let him reinstate me as a Guardian, then you can forget it…!" He staggered, suddenly finding that the world in front of him was spinning.

Warily, Astrid watched him, taking notice of his odd behavior. "...He never said anything like that. He just said that he wants to talk - "

Everything else that came out of her mouth sounded muffled as if someone had plugged up his ears. He could barely make out what she said and he had no energy or will to turn around to face him. Instead, he let out a weak, raspy cough and felt his legs give way from underneath him.

"Jack!" Jaime shouted as he closed the car door and rushed towards his friend's side. He fell to his knees as he quickly tried to sit Jack up, only to find that the young man's entire body felt as if it was on fire. "Jack!" he called out again, trying to get his friend to respond.

"What's wrong with him?" Astrid asked, also worried over Jack's condition as she stood over them.

"He's got a really high fever!" Jaime exclaimed, holding the unconscious white haired man in his arms. "Ugh, I should have kept him in the hospital even though he insisted on leaving - !" He stopped when he saw Astrid kneeling down, motioning towards her back.

"Get him on," she ordered the brunette. "I'll carry him into the house."

"H - Huh?" he asked, startled and surprised that a woman of her stature was insisting on carrying a fully grown, 6'0 tall man like Jack. "I can carry him…"

"With those noodles you have for arms?" Astrid scoffed. "I don't think so, kid. Now hurry up, he needs to get out of this cold as soon as possible."

* * *

 _"...I'm not proud of the things I've done, but please tell Elsa and Anna that I'm sorry. If I had the choice, I would turn back time and redo everything, just so that all of this could have been avoided. You too, Jack. I'm sorry for what my father did to the Lunanoffs and consequently, your parents as well. Human greed is endless and the Winters are living proof of that. I am guilty of this myself - I was greedy with love, I was greedy enough to bring my two beautiful daughters into this bleak world and I had hoped to atone for all of it by relegating the title of CEO to my husband, but that failed me in the end, didn't it? I'm sure that by the time you're done reading this letter, Jack, that I will have been killed. It's undeniable that he found out about everything and I believe tonight's the night he will exact his revenge against me. Just please don't let him get his revenge on my children. They've done nothing to deserve this._

 _Goodbye, Jack. Writing a final farewell is bittersweet, but I will rest easy knowing that you will be there to protect Elsa and Anna. I know that you'll do the right thing in the end, no matter what he may tell you._

 _-Idun"_


	28. Flowers For The Dead

**Marionette**

 **Chapter 28 - Flowers For The Dead**

 _Warnings: None_

* * *

This was the first time Elsa had ever seen Jack in this state - so vulnerable, weak, and helpless. She had to tear her eyes away from him as he lay in his bed, burning up with a hot fever and under the watchful care of Wendy and a few of the other maids. It was painful to see him like this. He had gotten sick a few times in the past, but like her, he was never prone to getting this sick from a mere cold or even the flu.

"Winters - " Astrid said, gently touching the young woman's shoulder. She looked rather genuinely worried and apologetic as they exchanged glances. "...We should let them take care of him until the doctor gets here."

Once the two women exited the room, they were no sooner approached by Jaime, who had confirmed to them that the doctor was on his way.

"Thank you," Elsa said dismally, providing them both with a lackluster smile. Her eyes lingered upon Astrid for a while longer than they did with Jaime and the golden blond quickly explained herself to the heiress.

"I know I'm the last person you wanted to see coming bursting through your front door with your bodyguard in tow," she said, meekly.

"...What were you doing here in the first place?" the platinum blond questioned, her voice hostile, but not sharp enough to sound dangerously malicious. She had been so focused on Jack, that she had not even concerned herself that it was Astrid that helped bring him in - until now.

Astrid bowed her head. "I needed to have a word with Jack and I really did want to apologize to him face-to-face over what happened. It was never my intention for it to escalate that far." She paused, hesitating a little for she was swallowing her own pride to utter the next few words in a soft whisper. "I let my emotions cloud my judgement at the time. I truly am ... sorry for the inconvenience I've caused both you and Jack. I'm saying this as a personal apology, not on behalf of the Guardians or Manny."

Elsa kept her eyes on the female bodyguard coolly, then let out a sharp exhale through her nose, letting go of all the tension that had built up in her body. "I see," she replied back curtly. Her tone softened up. "Thank you for telling me this - Astrid. Although I can't speak for Jack, I do appreciate that you told me this." Elsa let out a soft, dry laugh, knowing that Astrid did have good intentions underneath the surface. "I'm...pretty impressed that you managed to carry Jack all the way here even with your arm still in a cast," she remarked lightheartedly, eyeing the white cast that was still wrapped around Astrid's right arm.

"Oh," she raised her arm to look at it and sheepishly chuckled in response. "It wasn't that bad. I've had worse during my time in the Berk military. Had to carry guys twice Jack's weight while it was below freezing outside."

Elsa noticed Jaime drop his jaw, mouth agape at what Astrid said so languidly.

"Y - You?" he stammered, his mouth drying up. "...In the military?"

The blond's fiery temper arose once more as she whipped her head around to look at the scrawny brunette man. "Yeah, you got a problem with that?"

"Ah...n - no!" Jaime timidly shook his hands out in front of him as a gesture of surrender. The last thing he wanted to do was fight with a woman that could probably very easily snap his entire body in two. "I'm just surprised that someone like you received military training - " He quickly snapped his lips shut when he saw her azure eyes narrowed in a deadly glare towards him. "...Uhm, never mind," he quickly muttered, trying to dismiss the conversation when he saw the irritation apparent in her eyes.

Astrid turned her attention back towards Elsa, letting her scowl die out a little. She dropped her gaze a little in a wistful manner before addressing the young woman before her. "Well, I guess I'll be heading out now."

"So soon?"

She shrugged. "I think I've overstayed my welcome," a wry laugh, followed by a lopsided smile, "but thanks for hearing me out. I guess I'll - _uh_ \- see you around some other time, Wi - Elsa."

Jaime and Elsa watched as Astrid showed herself out the mansion. They waited until she descended down the large, double staircase before speaking.

"Wow," he breathed out as if he was holding it in. His hazel eyes widened in amazement as he snapped his head back over towards Elsa. "Never thought that someone like her would be in the military."

"Why is it so surprising?" she asked him, trying to keep up a light conversation with him.

"Because - !" Jaime's eyes widened again as he threw out his arms. "You kinda assume that huge, beefy, muscular guys are military dogs, but her - she's so - small...and pretty."

The young heiress giggled into her hand. "For lack of a better word?"

Sheepishly, Jaime held the back of his neck.

"You said you're Jaime right?" Elsa asked, offering up a kind smile and changing the subject.

"Y - Yes."

"Thank you for bringing Jack back home safe," she thanked him gratefully. "This - _uh_ \- might sound a little odd, but he's told me a lot about you...how you were his friend. So...thank you for that too. I think running into you after all these years might be helpful to him, especially with his condition right now."

Jaime's peachy skin turned a shade of bright red out of embarrassment. "Ah, no, no! I don't think I was all that helpful!" He laughed nervously as the two began walking away from the bedrooms and towards the entrance hall. "...Kinda feel like a lousy friend since I suddenly disappeared on him one day. I just want to make up for all the lost time between us," he said in a contemplative whisper. "Feel like I owe him that much."

"I'm sure Jack isn't one to hold it against you."

"Yeah, I know," Jaime answered back, distant, fond smile on his face as he spoke. "He told me himself that he understood that the situation was out of my control. ...He's a good person - always have been."

Elsa contemplatively nodded her head in agreement, somewhat happy that the trust she placed in Jack was validated by someone else - especially someone that was close to him. With a soft smile, she answered back, "he is."

When they reached the double staircase, Jaime waved to her as a sign of farewell. "Well, it was nice meeting you, Elsa!" he exclaimed cheerfully. He flashed her a boyish grin as he began his descent down the stairs with a light jog. "The doctor I called up should be here soon."

"Do you need a ride back? I could ask my driver to take you home," she piped up, stopping him before he reached the front door.

He blushed, quickly shaking his head modestly. "Oh no, it's fine! Thank you though!" He opened up the door, but just as he did, he let out a sharp gasp, startled that he nearly ran into someone. "I'm sorry!" he quickly apologized to the short woman, who nearly collided head-on with his chest.

She laughed sheepishly, waving her hand. "It's fine."

From the top of the stairs, Elsa could make out a tuft of familiar green - gold hair from behind Jaime. She widened her sapphire blue eyes, cautiously, but quickly making her way down the stairs. Could it be…?

"Tooth?" she called out, prompting both Jaime and female Guardian to look back towards the platinum blond.

Toothiana smiled humbly as she made eye contact with the young heiress. She looked back outside at the sudden, brewing snowstorm and then at Jaime. "Sorry, but you might want to wait this out. It's unbearably cold out there," she remarked with a light chuckle. She turned her attention back to Elsa and bowed her head as she spoke. "I'd also like it if you would let me stay here for a bit as well, Miss Winters…"

Elsa's eyes fell down to the large, heavy duffel bag that dangled by Toothiana's side.

"...I'm afraid that I have no home left to go back to."

* * *

The dull murmur of the news anchor flowed out from the flat-screen television's speakers and into the cozy lounge. Luckily, one of the servants took it upon themselves to start up a warm fire in the finely decorated fireplace that adorned one of the walls, enveloping those that were in the room in a soothing heat.

Jaime nervously darted his eyes back and forth between Elsa and Toothiana, unsure if he should stay in the room or leave as it seemed like the two women were getting ready to talk. He waited until one of the maids came back with some hot tea and snacks before speaking. "...Uhm...I can leave if you guys want some privacy," he said in a soft voice.

"Then - "

" - It's fine," Toothiana cut in, looking towards Jaime, then at Elsa, then back at Jaime shortly after. "...You told me that you're Jack's childhood friend, right?" she inquired with a soothing smile.

The brunette young man nodded, sitting upright stiffly as he spoke with the green haired woman. "Y - Yes," he answered her, his voice just as stiff as his body. "We used to play together in the park across the street from where he lived."

"Hm." Toothiana knew that he was talking about the park across from what was formerly a corporate building belonging to the Lunanoffs, where the Guardians resided underground. She stared at the tea sitting on the table before her for the longest time before speaking again. Amused and curious with how fidgety Jaime was, sitting on the sofa adjacent to her, she let out a light laugh and asked, "are you nervous, Jaime?"

Elsa saw his face turn a bright shade of red at the question.

"Ah, we - well - !" he stammered, obviously embarrassed as his eyes flickered back and forth between Toothiana and Elsa, who looked at him with varying degrees of scrutiny.

She broke into a soft laugh, her dark pink lips turning up into a smile. "Don't be," she told him, focusing her attention back onto the tea sitting in front of her.

There was thick silence between the three of them, with the only sound in the room coming from the crackling fire and the news report, highlighting the snowstorm outside. It wasn't until Elsa spoke, did the silence lift.

"I know you didn't come all the way here for small talk, Toothiana - "

" - No. Please don't call me that now."

Elsa furrowed her brow as she looked at her. She looked down at her lap shortly after and muttered, "so you really did separate from the Guardians...and from Manny Lunanoff."

"Yes…" A light, wry chuckle flowed past her lips. "It seems silly now...that Manny required that we call each other by the names he gave us, instead of the names we were given at birth. It was like he really did want us to throw away who we are and commit ourselves to him." She faced Elsa, looking her straight in the eyes. "Please forgive me for my blind foolishness, Miss Winters. I should have stopped Astrid before the fight between her and Jack ensued and I should have fought back harder against Manny's ridiculous policies." She dropped her head. "...I should have realized sooner that the title of being a "Guardian" was all just a sham."

Unsure of what to say to her, Elsa resorted to lacing and unlacing her hands together in her lap.

Toothiana noticed her uneasiness and quickly said to her, "it's up to you if you want to forgive me, Miss Winters. I will take whatever judgement you decide upon. Even now…" she chuckled mirthlessly, "I hate to burden you with this just because of my rash decision to leave the Guardians."

Elsa glanced at her. "Where will you go if I do decide to tell you to leave?"

There was no answer from the other woman.

Jaime looked towards the two of them, worried and feeling second-hand guilt when he saw how helpless Toothiana's situation was, but him unable to do anything about it. He secretly hoped that Elsa would make the decision to keep her.

"Do you want me to take you in as a bodyguard?" she asked her, hoping for a response this time.

Toothiana seemed to hesitate, parting her lips, then closing them before coming up with an answer. "Y...es," she breathed out in an almost inaudible whisper. "I apologize for putting something like this on your hands - "

" - I accept your offer."

She widened her pink eyes considerably as she looked towards the blond. "Miss Winters…" she whispered, feeling a swell of gratitude towards the young woman.

"I can't possibly cast you out when you have nowhere to go," she elaborated on her decision. "You...told me that you burned off your tattoo? ...I'm not looking for loyalty, but if you're willing to go that far to leave the Guardians and Manny Lunanoff, then that's more than enough for me to trust you."

Elated by her decision, Toothiana's face instantly brightened up. "Thank you, Miss Winters - !"

" - also," Elsa intervened, bringing her hands up to hug herself gently. Her expression fell dismal as she darkly muttered, "I know that Jack needs all the support he can get from those that are close with him. You being with him would help a lot."

Toothiana picked up on the sudden change in tone and asked her curiously, "is...something wrong with Jack again?"

"...Jack…" Elsa let out a solitary sigh. "Something's bothering him, but he won't tell me what it is. I thought things would be different once I knew of his real objectives and got him to confess, but I feel like it's gotten worse." Her voice was a dull whisper. "I feel like he's closing himself off, from me personally, and it hurts. I want to help him, like he's helped me throughout the years, but what can I do if he won't let me? He insists everything's fine, but - he's not the Jack that I knew anymore."

Both Jaime and Toothiana could practically hear the desperation and helplessness climbing in her voice. They glanced at each other briefly, but not fast enough to go unnoticed by Elsa.

"I'm not giving up on him if that's what you're thinking. I just think that with my efforts alone, he can't get better, " she quickly defended herself, tightly holding her own hands in her lap. "...Just because he's not the Jack that I fell in love with, doesn't mean that I'll stop loving him." Elsa pressed her lips together into a tight smile as she subconsciously brought her hand up to pull gently at her short blond hair, tickling the nape of her neck. "I love him so much … that's why no matter what - I want him to be happy for once, so that he can smile from the bottom of his heart. He deserves it after everything he's been through."

"Miss Winters…" Toothiana could not help, but feel touched by such heartfelt words uttered by the young woman. She could sense that even Jaime was moved and the three sat there in silence once more, taking in the soft murmurs of the news report from the TV. The green haired woman raised her head to look at Elsa once more and whispered out, " … I will do what I can to help Jack." She met eyes with her and softly she chuckled. "I understand that you must feel some degree of guilt over this entire thing, Miss Winters, but you should know that Jack really does love you. You're the one that makes him happy."

All Elsa did was let out a humorless laugh in response, as if she was in disagreement with her.

"Didn't I tell you before?" Toothiana mused with a little smile. "All he would talk about back when he started out as your bodyguard was you - he still does. He was so happy to find someone like you - you, who helped bring out Jack's true self," she giggled lightly, "that fun-loving, playful boy that you fell in love with. … Isn't that right?"

Her blue eyes drifted down to the plush, dark red rug beneath their feet. Elsa thought about it, soon finding peace in Toothiana's words. In that way of thinking, she thought that perhaps there was a vyable way to reach out to Jack. She just had to try harder.

"Thank you, Tooth - uh - " She caught herself, holding a hand over her lips.

" - Thiana," the petite woman responded with the most delicate of smiles on her face.

Elsa nodded in response, testing out her name on her tongue. "Thiana, then," she said, returning her smile.

As the fire in the fireplace crackled and popped, Jaime took in the positive vibes that were starting to fill up the room and he grinned ear-to-ear as he turned his attention towards one of the large, arched windows. "Look - the snowstorm stopped!" he cheered excitedly, hazel eyes lighting up, overjoyed by the idea that he could finally make his way back home.

The entire landscape outside was a stark white, with an occasional drifting winter breeze stirring up some of the loose powder snow. It was beautiful and for once … things felt _peaceful._

* * *

"So she left."

Bunnymund ran the flat expanse of his palm against the short, razor sharp shadow that he now sported around his chin and jawline. "Yeah," he muttered, his gravelly voice sounding more baritone than usual. "A few days ago," he told North and Sandy, who were both upset with the loss of now, two of their beloved companions. "Told me that abandoning Jack in his time of need isn't something that she could go through with."

North furrowed his brow, the thick salt & pepper eyebrows lowering to the point where it looked like both his eyes had disappeared. "... Did she say anything about where she is going?"

The tall man averted his green eyes away from the other men at the table. He lied. "No. She just said goodbye and left. I didn't bother asking or chasing her down. Wouldn't have told me anything anyways."

Sandy signed something to the two of them.

"No, Sandy …" Bunnymund sighed, pushing away some stray strands of cool gray hair away from his face. "Since we found out that the trackers won't work after being burnt off, she did just that to her own tattoo. There's no way of tracking her down, which shows that she has no intentions of being found either." He dropped his head. "... She must've wanted to leave that badly to go to such lengths to her body."

"... Nothing. Not a word," North breathed out, his calm blue eyes expanding and contracting as he tried his best to take it all in. "Tooth … what are you thinking?"

Although whispered, the Australian man took notice of North's words through his sensitive ears. He glanced at the burly, tattooed Russian and answered, " … she grew distrustful of Manny's ideologies. She thought it was too cruel for him to punish Jack like this, especially when the poor mate's been abandoned since birth. It's like a slap in the face, isn't it?" Bunnymund slanted his green eyes off to the side, then went back to staring at North. " … You know," he said with a rising scrutiny present in his voice, "as much as Frostbite annoyed the hell out of me at times, he's still our family. How is Manny okay with casting him out like that so easily? Hell, we practically raised him since he was just a lil ankle biter! I know that he puts himself in isolation in this damn underground prison, but is he really that heartless?"

"Bunny …-"

"Me and Tooth - frankly, we've only been loyal to Manny because he saved us and gave us a new life when our old ones chewed us up and spit us out. I don't want to stand by and do nothing when he's doing the same thing to one of our own - !" He faltered, stopping himself when he realized just how loud he was getting. Bringing himself back to a calm state, Bunnymund leaned back against the chair and let out a sharp sigh, crossing his arms over his chest in disdain. In a softer tone, he muttered, "... why are you so loyal to him, North? You've been with the guy since the very beginning. What's so special about him? It can't be for the money … "

Bunnymund awaited a response from his fellow colleague, only to be met with a thick silence. He glared at him with a gaze that could shoot daggers into the heavyset man. North was hesitating, as if he was hiding something from him, and it pissed Bunnymund off to no end. From the corner of his eye, he could see Sandy shrinking back into his seat just ever so slightly, feeling the growing tension in the air.

"Listen, if you and Manny are going to keep secrets from us like this -"

" - It most certainly isn't for the money," a voice from behind Bunnymund intervened. "It is to prevent the further spilling of innocent blood."

The lanky man furrowed his bushy gray eyebrows and turned around to face the source of the voice. His green eyes immediately widened in astonishment, as did North and Sandy's. "You're - ?" he breathed out, only to have his sentence be finished off by North, who stood up from his chair.

"...Manny."

* * *

Elsa held the back of her hand against his forehead, which was damp with a mixture of sweat and residual water left from the towel that was once on his skin. Jack still felt hot to the touch due to his raging fever, but it was not as alarmingly hot as it was yesterday. Of course, he still needed time to recover and she had every intention of helping the maids nurse him back to health.

"Mistress, I can look after him for a while," Wendy told the young woman as she returned to the room with some water and hot porridge for Jack to eat.

She looked back, thanking the maid, and leaving the room. Upon leaving, Elsa gently closed the door behind her and leaned against it for a while, taking the time to ease her worries over the young man.

"Miss Winters - " she heard someone calling out for her down the hall, snapping her out of her thoughts.

She turned her head, seeing Thiana approach her, all the while making a motion with her hand, beckoning the young woman to come over. Elsa curiously went over to her and asked, "what's wrong, Thiana?" The question was for the apparent distress written over her face.

The older woman fidgeted with her hands placed behind her back. She avoided Elsa's prying gaze for the longest time before answering. "... Could we speak in private? Perhaps in the lounge?"

Elsa knitted her thin eyebrows together in confusion, but quietly complied with Thiana's request. She followed the short, female bodyguard downstairs and upon the two of them arriving in the lounge, the green haired woman immediately grabbed the television remote. When she noticed the odd glance that Elsa gave her, she quickly explained herself.

"... It's news pertaining to Jack...and well - his condition, in a way. I don't really want anyone to overhear," she said while turning up the volume on the television to the point where it was audible, but not loud enough to disrupt a conversation that was about to take place.

The two women took a seat on one of the sofas and Elsa waited until Thiana spoke up first.

"Miss Winters … I wanted to tell you this earlier - yesterday - but with Jack's friend present as well, I couldn't."

"What is it?" Elsa's heart picked up speed within her, starting to grow wary of what Thiana was about to reveal.

"Before I left the Guardians we received word that Sera was killed in that apartment fire."

"I assumed as much. There was no way she could have survived that - " Elsa began having flashbacks to the images of Sera's harrowing death in such a fiery aftermath.

"Yes, well … we tried to figure out her identity, to find out who hired her to hurt both you and Jack with such cruel methods, but all the traces we put out came up to a dead end. Not only did her body burn up, but it seems every trace of "Sera" disappeared along with her. It's like that girl never existed."

Elsa shifted her body slightly in discomfort at the revelation she now as slowly growing aware of. "... Then … to everyone else, it'll seem like what happened to Jack … _never happened_ ," she whispered, tightly clenching her fists upon her knees.

Thiana dropped her gaze, slanting her eyes off to the side. "I've heard that those that experience trauma, it's easier to find closure when the source of their trauma is brought to justice. Even though Jack's not telling you - I'm sure he experienced unspeakable things at the hands of that woman. With her dead and with no way of knowing who really hired her … I worry for him. I'm afraid Jack may never come to terms with what happened."

The platinum blonde closed her eyes, sighing softly as she did so. "... I want to make him feel better. This certainly does make it harder to do so, but that doesn't mean that it's impossible."

A silence filled the room, the only sound coming from the news report playing on the television.

 _"...We are here at the grand opening of a large strip mall endorsed by Peter Black, formerly known as Peter Pitchiner. This is such a big deal to Nightvale as it will bring a much needed relief to the city's current economic crisis - "_

The scene changed to that of Nightvale's mayor, who graciously began thanking Peter Black for his contributions to his city. Elsa switched her attention back to Thiana once she started speaking.

"... You're right, Miss Winters," she responded, gently wringing her hands together. An ardent smile built up on Thiana's face as she gave one last glance over at the TV before facing Elsa again. "We need to give Jack more credit than that. He's strong enough to get through this."

 _" - He is supposed to attend this event later tonight to cut the ribbon."_

Elsa nodded. "I know he is," she said. "I will be too. For his sake and for my own."

 _"Excuse me - I'm receiving word just now - "_

Thiana smiled broadly at her answer. She took the young woman's hand, gently grasping it as a silent gesture of support. "I'm sure that in time, we'll find out who's behind all this."

 _" - It seems as though Peter Black has suddenly canceled the ribbon cutting ceremony for tonight. His PR representative has contacted us saying that he is unable to attend due to personal matters - "_

"...Because you two deserve to be happy."

The blonde blushed modestly at such endearing words. "Thank you, Thiana."

 _" - While his PR rep. isn't discussing anymore details, the public is only left to wonder just what could have caused Peter Black to cancel such an important event?"_

* * *

It felt like it had been ages since he last felt the sensation of the fresh winter air nip at his skin. Although Jack had gotten over his illness a few days ago, he still felt slightly fatigued and drowsy. However, he did not let this stop him from leaving the house.

He needed to be here.

For a while, he sat in his car after turning off the engine, just silently staring at the top of the steering wheel. The warmth the heaters provided slowly dissipating as the seconds passed by, quickly being replaced by the biting cold air. Once he felt the chills, Jack pulled on some fleeced lined, black leather gloves over his hands. He leaned over to the passenger seat and picked up a small bouquet of neatly arranged pink carnations. It was a simple arrangement, but he made sure not to mess up the ribbon and tissue paper that the flowers were wrapped in.

Upon exiting his car, Jack was met with the pleasurable sting of the winter air against his exposed face. He pulled at the dark blue knit scarf around his neck and breathed out a heavy sigh, creating a large plume of vapor that wafted in front of him. His eyes went to the elaborate stone archway that was currently covered in a layer of snow. Beyond that, he could see the rows upon rows of gravestones.

Cemeteries were never pleasant place to be in, especially for Jack. He disliked visiting, as did Elsa, but they came along with Anna, who reverently paid her respects to her deceased parents. While Jack had no real reason to be as saddened as Elsa or Anna, he hated visiting for reasons of his own…

Despite that, he walked through the snow-ladened, empty cemetery. Jack kept his pace slow, for his body was still not quite in such a condition for him to be briskly walking. It took him a while to get to the very back area of the expansive plot of land - the area where many of the Winters were buried. It was a separate, private part of the cemetery that belonged to the Winters, complete with its own custom statues, mausoleums, and gardens.

Jack quietly opened up the easy access latch on the gate to gain access to the private area. The iron gate groaned lowly as he stepped inside. He swept some loose strands of his white bangs away from his eyes as he took a quick glance over the graves. When he spotted the all-too familiar black marble headstones belonging to Idun and Agdar, he walked over to them slowly.

He sighed upon arriving in front of the two graves, his blue eyes resting upon Idun's headstone in particular. Jack's gaze remained impassive, with the smallest hint of guilt in them. He pulled the scarf over his nose and mouth as he bent down to carefully place the bouquet upon her grave. "... Sorry," he murmured lowly. "I tried to uphold my promise to you, but it ended up blowing up in my face." His eyes lowered, clouded with the depressive thoughts that filled his head.

Jack knelt down in front of her grave respectfully, making sure that his feet or knees sunk too far into the untouched snow. A moment's pause and he told her softly with a voice filled with conflicting emotions, "I… don't know what to do anymore," he admitted to the deafening silence. "I thought this would be easier if I got Elsa to hate me, but whenever I try to make her hate me… I back out because…"

A soft wind stirred around him as he swallowed a growing lump in his throat.

"Because… I can't bear the thought of her hating me - at all." He eventually let out a dry laugh. "Pretty pathetic, huh? This good for nothing bodyguard fell for your... amazingly beautiful daughter." Jack smiled fondly at the thought of the young woman he was so hopelessly in love with. Puffs of vapor flowed out from his slightly parted lips as he spoke affectionately of Elsa. "You'd be proud of her if you saw her today. Growing up along side her, you end up not noticing these things that are happening right in front of your eyes, but looking back at them like this - " He paused, looking up from the ground to Idun's marble headstone before him. " - you end up realizing just how precious those moments were. ...You end up realizing how precious she is."

He fell silent again, dropping his gaze to the flowers he placed upon Idun's grave. Another wind, stirring, as he came to a conclusion.

"... I don't think I'm the right person for the job," he whispered, brokenly. "I want to protect her, but… I'm not strong enough. I let him get to me… and now I can't even face her properly." Jack recollected the moment when he moved away from her kiss and subconsciously avoided her after that, actually fearing physical contact with her. He hated it because in the dark recesses of his mind, he wanted to touch her - to feel her warmth and to have a physical anchor, a confirmation for the reality of their feelings for each other. However, he knew that every time he did, he would be reminded of the abuse he suffered under Sera.

Unable to say anything further, Jack stood up, quietly staring down at Idun's headstone respectfully before turning away to leave. However, before he could one step, he heard the groan of the iron gates opening at the entrance of the Winters' private cemetery. Curious as to who would be visiting, he turned his head over to the direction of the noise and who he saw, quite frankly, shocked him.

His blue eyes widened slightly at the sight of Kai, who seemed equally as shocked to see the young man there. "You're…"

The middle-aged man blinked his dark gray eyes before responding. "Jack," he said, relaxing his eyes and smiling at him. "Didn't expect to see you here."

"... Likewise," he answered him, noticing that the black haired man was holding a two single, neatly wrapped white roses. Jack let him approach both Agdar and Idun's graves and watched as he placed the flowers at the foot of their headstones.

"Are you here with Elsa and Anna?" Kai asked as he knelt down with some degree of difficulty, as if he had some sort of knee or hip injury.

"No."

Kai noticed the single bouquet upon Idun's grave and he smiled fondly at it, assuming that it was Jack that put it there. He did not question it however, and simply went about making small talk with the young man. "I was planning to come here last week, but with how much snow was forecasted in the weather, I decided to wait it out." He smiled at Idun's headstone for a brief moment, long enough for Jack to take notice of his odd behavior. "... Can't believe it's been four years," he whispered, letting out a sigh as he tightly held together the lapels of his long black overcoat in an attempt to keep warm.

He turned his head back, looking up at the white haired man, who stood over him.

"She was a kind woman, wasn't she?"

"Excuse me?"

" - Idun."

Jack's eyes went to the headstone belonging to her. "... Yes," he replied curtly. He noticed Kai staring longingly at Idun's name that was inscribed on the marble tablet, almost lovingly -

"She didn't deserve such a horrific death," Kai said to Jack, all the while keeping his eyes set on Idun's name. His voice dropped as he wistfully held his gloved hands together. "She was a loving woman that cared deeply for both Elsa and Anna."

The white haired man thought back to the letter Idun gave him the day of her death. "... I know," he whispered.

Kai looked up at Jack once more, smiling at him. "Sorry, this might seem awkward, but - I am grateful that you're here to protect them...especially Elsa. I know you were hired to do so, but...perhaps - " He stopped himself from speaking any further, turning his parted lips into a soft smile. Jack took notice of this and curiously wrinkled his brow. "... Nevermind."

He got back up onto his feet with some difficulty and brushed off the excess snow off of his black pants. His kind face wrinkled into a little smile as he quickly said his farewells to Jack.

" - Wait," the young bodyguard said, stopping Kai in his tracks as he was just about to leave. Jack stared at the back of his head, covered in a layer of neat, onyx black hair. "I know you are the acting CEO of Elsa's company until she can fully inherit it, but most people in your position wouldn't go out of their way to pay respects to his dead boss - "

"... Jack, what are you talking about - ?"

" - Or his wife."

Kai stilled, every muscle of his body stiffening up, and Jack took it as a confirmation to his suspicions. The older man peered over his shoulder, looking back at the bodyguard.

Slowly, Jack started, "I saw the way you were looking at her headstone."

"I was just simply paying my respects - "

" - You loved her...didn't you?"

A howling, icy wind blew through the cemetery, but neither men moved a muscle. There was a dead silence between them for the longest time until Kai's tense face relaxed back into its usual lighthearted expression. He chuckled, trying to laugh it off. "Jack, that's not - " His voice faltered in his throat when he noticed the unwavering conviction in Jack's eyes. He knew that he could see through his lies clearly.

His smile fell to that of a somber one. He chuckled once more.

"... I knew I could trust you to protect Elsa and Anna. You were always sharp. It's a valuable trait and that's what makes a good bodyguard - being able to deflect a threat before it harms your master." Kai closed his eyes, bowing his head slightly as he let out a soft sigh. His voice fell to a dull murmur, "it's something I should have done for Idun."

At Jack's silence, Kai raised his head to look at the young man.

"I suppose you want an actual answer to your question, Jack. That's fine," he said with a kind smile. "Yes...we were in love. Much like you and Elsa."

Jack gave him an inquiring look. "You were Idun's bodyguard," he said as a statement, rather than a question, although Kai took no special notice of it.

"Yes," the older man admitted with a little sigh. He fondly stared down at Idun's grave. "Her father hired me to protect her when she turned thirteen. I'm not sure when exactly we fell in love with each other, but her father was vehemently against our relationship when he found out. A daughter from one of the wealthiest families in Burgess ought to marry someone of a higher or equal class, right?" Kai let out a wry laugh at the rhetorical question.

The white haired bodyguard continued to remain silent, feeling the similarities between his relationship with Elsa and the relationship between Kai and Idun.

"Idun didn't care. Her father pushed random suitors from other families onto her, in hopes that she would fall in love with one of them. I even urged her to comply with her father's demands, but she was stubborn, saying that she could never love anyone as much as she loved me. You could only imagine how angry her father must have been when he found out about that as well." Kai carefully bent down near Idun's headstone once more and gingerly brushed off the snow that rested upon the black marble.

"Then…what happened after that?" Jack asked.

The onyx haired man grunted a little in discomfort as he moved his leg so that he could kneel. His knee sank into the white snow as he kept his eyes on the flowers left on Idun's grave. "You could probably guess," he chuckled, glancing over at Agdar's grave that was set beside his wife's. "Idun's father finally arranged a marriage between them. It was loveless at first, but...he treated her kindly. That was more than enough for me."

Jack narrowed his eyes at the middle-aged man. "You let her go that easily even though you two loved each other so much?"

"It wasn't easy," Kai laughed lightly. "Definitely wasn't, because I still love her to this day, but if you love someone...you'd want the best for them. I knew that even though Idun assured me that she was fine, she was under a large amount of stress because of her father. He absolutely did not want her to dishonor the Winters family name by marrying a nobody like me. In this case, it was difficult, but because I loved her so much - I let her go. Agdar treated her well and I knew she wouldn't be the object of constant scrutiny by her father if she were with him."

Although Jack did not agree with what he said, he kept silent, taking in all the information that Kai was telling him.

"Of course, Idun was relentless. Even after being married to Agdar, she still came to see me. Her father had agreed to let me stay, so long as I promised that I would never lay a hand on his daughter again. I told her this, but - I guess we really couldn't keep away from each other because I accepted her advances. It was stupid," he admitted with a dry chuckle. "But we were still very much in love with each other."

Silence fell between the two men once again. Jack wished to speak with him further, but was interrupted by the sound of a soft ringing. He recognized it to be the alarm on his phone and he pulled it out from the inside pocket of his blazer. On the screen display, the words 'hospital' flashed until he tapped the screen to turn off the alarm. He nearly forgot about his second therapist appointment today.

"Sorry I - "

"Need to be somewhere?" Kai intervened, smiling understandingly. "Go," he said gently. "And thank you Jack, for taking the time to speak with me. I could never tell this to anyone else - _even_ to Idun's daughters."

Jack raised an inquisitive eyebrow as he watched the black haired man stand up and approach him. He seemed reluctant, as if he was momentarily wondering if he really should divulge this piece of information to him.

"... About this conversation, Jack. I know you probably won't mention it to her, but please keep it a secret - from Elsa _especially._ "

" _Why_ \- ?" He blinked, widening his eyes slightly as Kai leaned forward to whisper into his ear. While the information that he shared did not surprise Jack, what the older man said afterwards was what stuck with him.

The older man pulled away from him. "... Regardless of whether or not Elsa is my daughter or Agdar's, I will still love her all the same, because the fact that she's the daughter of the woman I loved dearly will not change." Kai gave Jack one last smile - heavy and broken. "Although a simple DNA test could prove if she's mine or Agdar's, I think...it would only burden her if she knew of all this. I wouldn't want to put that on Elsa - or Anna for that matter."

Waving his hand, Kai said his goodbyes to Jack and left the cemetery first. Once he heard the low groan of the iron gates opening and closing shut, he turned back towards Agdar and Idun's graves. For a while, he stood there looking down at the flowers he and Kai brought and he bent down to pick up the rose that was left on Agdar's grave. His eyes narrowed, his voice building with spite as he whispered, "... even when he's not sure if he's her real father or not, he still loves her."

Jack moved the rose over to Idun's grave and sighed as he stood up. He stared down at his work for a few seconds longer, before taking his leave.

The bouquet and the two roses flourished, coloring Idun's grave with a lively display, while Agdar's remained barren and empty, with only the white snow covering the cold grave.


	29. A Winters Lullaby

**Marionette**

 **Chapter 29 -** **A Winters Lullaby**

 _Warnings: Violence and implied rape in the first section_

* * *

A howling wind swept across the desolate winter wasteland. Jack slowly pried open his tired eyes as he tried to discern where he was. Patches of dirt and dust spotted his blazer and stained the exposed whites of his dress shirt in a dingy brown. He quietly sat himself up as he studied the barren landscape that surrounded him. Having no idea as to where he was or as to how he got there, Jack slanted his blue eyes, studying the foreign setting.

He grunted as he picked himself up. A thin layer of snow upon the ground crunched underneath the soles of his black dress shoes. His messy hair was tousled by the wild, chilly winds whipping around him, disorienting the young man. It calmed down considerably just a few seconds later and Jack opened his eyes up wider, no longer feeling the painful sting of the cold air against them. Before he could take any time to get a better view of his surroundings, he stilled at the all-too familiar male voice belonging to the man that he worked for.

 _"You thought you could betray me, Jack?"_

He turned sharply on his heel with a light gasp and came face-to-face with Sera - surprisingly. She smiled sweetly at him, the tips of her long black hair brushing gently against her waist as she took a step forward towards him, her petite hips swaying sensually as she did so. Then without warning, she lunged, her sweet, doll-like expression suddenly turning viciously predatory as she violently took hold of his wrist. In her other hand was a large hunting knife and Jack quickly grabbed a hold of her wrist in order to prevent her from plunging it into his head. Amidst the struggle, he tripped and found himself quickly falling backwards.

Unexpectedly, he found his back meeting a rotten, old couch instead of the hard, snow-covered ground he anticipated. He soon realized that the setting had changed and now he was back inside the apartment where he was once held captive.

He grit his teeth, desperately trying to hold back the crazed woman who held the knife close to his temple. The tip of it was just a few centimeters away from his skull.

"I love you, Jack," she hissed under her breath maniacally, trying to plunge the knife into his skull.

He didn't know why she was so strong, but he lost the strength in his arms just for a moment, enough for her to bring the knife down. He quickly moved his head out of the way, but not quick enough to completely avoid injury. A stifled grunt escaped his throat when he felt the pain of a deep gash on his cheek cut open. He could feel the warm blood pouring out, but that was the least of his concerns when he saw Sera grow ominously still above him.

She seemed mesmerized by the sight of him bleeding and she immediately giggled softly. A crazed, lustful look crossed her gray eyes as her lips curled into a malicious grin. "More... more...more," she chanted, pressing the knife to his chest and dragging it down, effectively popping off the buttons of his shirt with ease.

Jack had little time to react as she dove in for a suffocatingly, deep kiss. His mind raced, hating every second of the feeling of her lips against his. He moaned - _in pain_ \- as she started to drag the knife against his toned chest, drawing ruby red beads of blood. With some degree of difficulty, he brought his hand up to the gun he had holstered underneath his arm as he felt her unbuckling his pants. She was so distracted by the kiss that she was caught off-guard when she finally pulled away breathlessly, her small doll-like lips bruised a dark red.

The bodyguard panted huskily as he clenched his teeth and pointed the gun directly at Sera's forehead. Without wasting a moment's time, he pulled the trigger and a loud bang resounded throughout the room - which had suddenly changed.

His blue eyes went wide at the brief glimpse of blond hair he saw before he felt the weight of a dead body on top of him. His heart raced as his eyes darted over to the head of blond hair that lay by his head.

 _'No…'_

He dreaded the revelation for he did not want his suspicions to be confirmed. Jack felt the sheets by his head grow warm and sticky with blood and he trembled uncontrollably as he slowly sat up.

 _'I didn't shoot her…I shot Sera.'_

A startled noise came from Jack as he look down, horrified by the sight of Elsa's lifeless body hanging limply off of him. They were both half-dressed and he sat up in her bed, holding her close to him as he stared back into her wide, hollow blue eyes. She had tears beading at the corners and her cheeks were soaked, indicating that she had been crying before he killed her in cold blood. It drove a dagger straight into his heart.

"El...sa…" he croaked out, his face contorting into that of pure panic and fear. "Elsa - I - I…"

"I must say, Jack, you outdid yourself."

Jack snapped his head up to see the silhouette of a man in one of the dark corners of the room. Although it was dark, he immediately recognized who the man was by the sound of his voice. "This...this is all _your_ fault!" he shouted, his sorrow suddenly turning into pure rage. "If you didn't rope me into your _fucked up_ plan - !"

" - _Really_?" the man cut in sharply. "As I recall, _you're_ the one that pulled the trigger - _I_ didn't." The man chuckled deeply when he saw Jack's eyes darting down to the gun in his hand. "You're quite a piece of work, aren't you? You feign nobility and innocence, but you go onto commit such a heinous crime. Tell me, how did it feel to have a woman like Elsa beg for her life before you put a bullet in her head?"

He swallowed the growing lump in his throat as Jack stared at the man with a horrific image brewing inside of his head. In almost a clear visual, he could practically see - and feel - Elsa as she sat upon him, straddling his waist as she tearfully begged for him to stop. His stomach churned at the images of him forcing himself onto her, with her crying throughout the entire ordeal, before he finally put her out of her misery with a single shot to the head.

It was a cruel end - for her to be raped by the man she loved and then killed. He betrayed her trust and at the moment, Jack realized that he was no better than Edwin.

"I didn't - " Jack choked out, tears stinging his eyes as he turned his head back down to Elsa's lifeless body. "I didn't kill her. I didn't do any of that. I don't want to - that wasn't _me_ \- !"

"...You're going to have to, Jack," a soft, wispy voice answered him.

He gasped, seeing Elsa's gentle, loving gaze on him as her dead body reanimated. Despite the bullet wound in her head, she raised a hand up to cup his cheek. She ran the smooth pad of her thumb across his cheek, wiping away a salty tear. "Elsa…" he breathed out, his eyes wide in shock.

"Isn't this the path you chose for yourself?" she asked, taking a soft sigh as her body relaxed in his arms. "...I'll be okay. I only want you to be happy." Her voice was so weak and began cracking as tears flowed out of her eyes once more. "I don't want to die, Jack...but if this means that you'll finally be free, then...there's not much left to be said, is there?"

She laughed as tears continued to pour from her eyes.

Jack stared down at her, his muscles tensing as tears dropped down from his eyes and onto her face.

"Don't cry," she whispered softly with a serene smile. "You said that I could hurt you as much as I want and you wouldn't utter a word of complaint. ...The feeling's mutual."

"W...hy?" he choked out as the tears came down faster. "For my sake - ?"

"...Because I love you, Jack." Elsa giggled softly behind closed lips. "No matter how much you hurt me...I _always_ will..."

"Elsa…" he called out when he saw her eyes closing once more. He drew in an anticipatory breath, waiting for her to reopen her eyes. "Elsa…!" he exclaimed, shaking her lithe, cold body in hopes of getting her to wake up again. He took hold of her delicate hand and pressed it against his cheek in a final act of desperation to feel her warmth. After a long period of deafening silence, Jack held her close, burying his face into the crook of her neck as he wept heavily in pure grief.

 _She was gone._

And all Jack could do was let his soft cries turn into heart-wrenching screams because he knew that it was all his fault.

* * *

Jack's hand suddenly tensed around the handle of the gun. He held the weapon up for the longest time at the target dummy a few feet away from him and finally, he lowered his arm, unable to fire off even one round. With a defeated sigh, he dropped his head, holding it as he heard light footsteps quickly approach him from behind.

"Jack?" Thiana asked, worriedly leaning over to catch a glimpse of his face. She saw him remove the clear shooting glasses from his face, followed by the noise reducing earmuffs.

He remained silent for a while, before halfheartedly muttering, "sorry…"

"Why are you apologizing…? Jack?" she wrinkled her neat eyebrows together in confusion as her pink eyes studied him when he turned towards her. The green haired woman gently took hold of Jack's hand and peered up at his face again, trying to get a hold of what he was thinking. When he didn't say anything to her for the longest time, Thiana took it upon herself to initiate the conversation once again. She let out a soft sigh and smiled at him. "How about a break?"

* * *

A happy muffled squeal out of pure contentment came from the woman that sat across from him at the table. Jack couldn't help, but let out a stifled chuckle at the sight of Thiana thoroughly enjoying her fruit parfait. He looked down at his own and asked her, "is it really that good?"

"Try it and you tell me," she said with an eager smile.

Jack scooped up a strawberry covered in a light cream and clamped his lips down upon the long neck of the parfait spoon. His blue eyes lit up a little at the taste of the delectable treat and he went for another bite. At this, Thiana giggled, finding his behavior adorable.

"It's good, isn't it?"

All Jack did was nod as he scooped up another bite, transfixed on the parfait. As he ate, he noticed Thiana staring at him, to which she immediately grew flustered by. He saw her pink eyes growing wide and cheeks turning a similar color.

"S - Sorry!" she stammered out when she noticed him giving her a curious look by raising an eyebrow at her. "It's just - " she paused for a bit, unsure if she would ruin the mood by bringing it up. "- You seem to be enjoying yourself for once."

The silvery-white haired man held the spoon between his lips for a while before pulling it out slowly. He bowed his head, contemplatively thinking about what Thiana had said to him just now. "...Yeah," he muttered softly.

The older woman's eyes went wide again. "Ah, I'm sorry for bringing it up...it's just that - "

" - No. You're right." His voice dropped off, fading away somberly as he attempted a smile.

Thiana wrinkled her brow slightly as she studied him in concern. She let her eyes fall back down to her half-eaten parfait as she spoke. "Is something bothering you, Jack? I...didn't say anything about it before because I didn't want to intrude upon your personal problems, but...it's becoming more apparent that something is bothering you greatly."

Jack looked off towards the side, impassively. He didn't answer her for a while, as if he was searching for the right words to form. "...That obvious, huh?" he murmured.

She flashed a lopsided, dry smile at him. "Although your knife-throwing need a bit of work, you've always been a natural with a firearm. You're as accurate with them as Aster is -"

" - But now I miss _everything_ ," Jack finished for her. He sighed, gently touching the cool parfait glass, a nice relief from the warm heat inside the cozy cafe. "I thought things would revert back to normal once I made amends with Elsa, cut myself off from the Guardians and Manny, and continue my therapy sessions, but it feels like nothing changed. I'm still stuck where I was since - " He paused, swallowing. "- since the thing with Sera."

"It's only been a couple of months, Jack," Thiana gently tried to comfort him.

"I want to recover faster than this - for Elsa." He tried to hide his impatience, but was failing miserably at doing so. It was no secret that Jack was doing his best to recover as quickly as possible. He felt a moral obligation to be reassigned as Elsa's bodyguard once more, even though Thiana was more than capable of handling it herself. Jack tightly gripped his knees, his blunt nails digging into the lightweight denim fabric of his dark wash jeans. "I don't even know what's wrong with me," he admitted behind clenched teeth.

He despised the horrific nightmares that plagued his mind whenever he went to sleep. Sometimes they would play through his mind during the day, causing him to have sudden bouts of lightheadedness and nausea from how gruesome those scenes were. In each and every nightmare, he would come face to face with the man that wanted Elsa dead and he in turn, would kill Elsa by making her suffer. Some of the nightmares were so vivid that they blurred the line between dreams and reality - _and that frightened Jack to no end._

Thiana saw him starting to get up, the legs of the chair he was sitting in, scraping against the floor. "Jack - " she said, wanting to follow him out of the small cafe, only to have him raise a hand up to gently stop her. She took a step back, staring at him with a deep confusion embedded in her eyes.

"Sorry," he said apologetically, wrapping his neck with his knit scarf. "...I...kind of want to be left alone for a while, Thiana."

"O - Of course…should I wait for you? Or - ?"

"I can get back home by myself," he replied softly. His blue eyes looked dull and distant once more. "Thanks for the parfait."

She could only nod in response, afraid that she would accidentally upset him if she said anything else. Thiana waited until he exited the cafe to sit back down. She stared at Jack's half eaten parfait that sat across the table and she leaned over to slide it over towards her. A sigh escaped her as she helped herself to the rest of it. The once sweet cream was bland and tasteless and the strawberries felt dry against her tongue.

As she slid the spoon out from her mouth in a smooth motion, she whispered to herself, "...there's _nothing_ wrong with you, Jack."

* * *

A light humming noise could be heard from the dining room.

Languidly, Anna twirled a lock of her neatly conditioned orange colored hair around her thin finger as she chewed lightly on the eraser of her mechanical pencil. She stared hard at a math problem laid out in front of her, visibly frustrated with it. After a few short seconds, she let out a frustrated groan and let her head fall down upon her neatly written notes.

"...That tough, huh?"

Anna's head shot back up at the sound of her sister's voice and immediately her face lit up in joyful hope. "Elsa!" she exclaimed, practically bouncing up and down in her seat as the blonde took a seat beside her. "Thank god, you're here! I need help with this homework! My trig teacher is a she-devil and she expects us to finish all of this by tomorrow and I don't understand any of it!"

Elsa raised an eyebrow as she shed her dark blue blazer. Having just gotten back from the corporation, all she wanted was to get out of her restrictive clothes and spend the evening in her bed with some tea and her planner to go over the next day's events. However, she saw the puppy-dog eyes that Anna was giving her and she knew that her sister would be up all night if she didn't help her.

"Alright," she said with a light smile, "let's see it."

The red head let out a high pitched squeal and threw her arms around her older sister. "Thank you, thank you, thank you! So, what does this mean? I mean, she explained it in class, but no one understood it and I asked her what she meant, but she kinda just yelled at me and so - "

Anna continued rambling on and off, in between Elsa's pointers and hastily scribbling through the problems, occasionally letting out expressive noises in realization when she came to the right answers. It was amusing to watch her, but the blond began to notice how tired she was becoming, the numbers soon blurring together and her explanations becoming rather muddled and sloppy - although Anna took no special notice of it. Her perfectly, purple shadowed eyelids felt heavy as she drowsily watched her sister scribbling through her homework beside her.

As her head bobbed up and down, she felt a gentle hand touch her shoulder, snapping her out of her sleepy daze.

"I can take it from here."

Elsa turned her head to see Jack standing behind her.

Immediately, Anna's head snapped around and her face lit up once more, just like it did when she saw Elsa. "Jack!" she cheered, clapping her hands together. "This is great! Now both of you can help me!"

He simply chuckled at the young girl before turning his attention back towards Elsa, who looked at him inquisitively. As if he knew what she wanted to ask, he answered back, "go get some rest. You were at work the entire day."

Anna chimed in, finally taking notice as to how tired Elsa looked. "It's okay, Sis! I think I got the hang of it," she reassured her, silently urging her to go to bed with the darting of her azure eyes back forth between her older sister and her bodyguard. "If anything else comes up, I could always ask Jack!"

Although a part of her was reluctant to leave since she did want to aid Anna with her homework like the responsible older sibling that she was, Elsa felt much too tired from a long day at the corporation. Things were busier than usual with Kai practically bombarding her with information and taking her along to several meetings. Being in the most uncomfortable set of high heels for the entirety of the day didn't help either.

"Fine," she sighed dejectedly, pushing herself away from the table. As she brushed past Jack, Anna teased the two.

"Aw, no goodnight kisses?" she cooed. "You guys are the worst at romance."

Elsa nervously darted her eyes over to Jack, who seemed just as equally embarrassed. Her face turned a shade of red as she snapped out with a controlled tone, "just finish your homework, Anna." She knew that her sister was just teasing and trying to help out their relationship in her own little way, but it created an awkward atmosphere between them and Elsa cringed inwardly at the feeling. Just before she turned to leave, she felt a warm hand capture hers in such a discreet fashion that she had to let her eyes fall down the length of Jack's arm just as a confirmation that his hand holding hers.

She stared, wide eyed, at the back of his head, surprised by this sudden affectionate gesture. Elsa felt him give her hand a gentle squeeze before letting go and turning his attention back towards Anna, who seemed to take no notice as to what had just occurred. She stood there for a second longer than necessary as he took the seat where she had once sat in. A swell of fluttering emotions overcame her and without another word, she quickly walked out of the dining room.

Anna curiously peered over behind Jack to see the fleeting image of her sister. Once she disappeared from view, the red head looked back at the bodyguard and asked softly, "too soon for you?"

Jack let his gaze drop to the jumbled mess of numbers and formulas on the young girl's green, floral notebook. He stayed like that for a while, his arm propped up on the table with the lower half of his face buried into the palm of his hand. It was the hand that had briefly held Elsa's and he could smell the faintly sweet floral scent that always seemed to surround her.

It relaxed him.

His blue eyes reflected a pensive joy as his mind lingered upon Elsa. "...I'll get there," he replied gently in response to Anna's question.

* * *

Once Elsa arrived back in her room, she quickly shut the door behind her and leaned against it, holding her hand over her rapidly beating heart. She could feel a heat rising on her face as she took the time to ease herself back into a calm state. She told herself not to get so flustered just from merely holding his hand for such a brief moment, but the more she thought about it, the more her mind drifted off into a daze.

It had been so long since anything romantic happened between them, several months in fact. She had been so busy with the corporation and learning all the ropes, she never really paid attention to just how much she missed his affection. Elsa thought that by distracting herself with her work, she could give Jack the space to heal and recover on his own, but she couldn't deny that she had been starting to crave his attention and love.

Every fleeting glance they shared when they passed each other, every little, subtle touch, the short conversations they had, Elsa treasured them all. She knew it was selfish of her to think such a thing, but she desperately wished every day that Jack would suddenly go back to being his normal, playful self.

She blushed madly as she drew up her shaking hands up to her chest. She clutched at her own hand, holding it as Jack had did just now. A warm feeling filled her up, one that made her stomach feel airy light. A little smile played upon her face and Elsa bowed her head down so that the tip of her small nose touched the knuckle of her hand. There was the faintest scent of Jack's usual fresh pine tree scented aftershave lingering upon her skin and she instantly felt comforted.

The way he held her hand reassured her that he still loved her and she knew that he was trying his best so that he could once again stand by her side.

With this thought to comfort her, she decided to retire for the night. She let out a sharp sigh and walked over to her vanity. In doing so, she brought her arms back to release her now shoulder length blond hair from the clip that held it up in a professional up-do. Her softly waved platinum locks framed her face as she let her eyes drift from her reflection in the mirror to the calendar that hung on the wall just beside her vanity.

Jack never made it a point to celebrate his birthday, but Elsa did take it upon herself to give him something every year as a gift. So, when she saw the little red mark she made on the third week of April on her calendar, indicating his birthday, she began wondering what she should do for him on that special day. He never liked extravagant parties like Anna did, but she certainly didn't want to underwhelm him with just a simple present and a greeting.

Elsa glanced back at the date again and saw that it was only a week away. She thought about it hard, wondering what would be a decent birthday gift as well and what she should do for him. When she was unable to think of anything immediately, she let out a discouraged sigh. "...Maybe I'll think of something in the shower," she muttered softly, peeling off her clothes, the act providing a much needed relief from her tired body.

Just as she slipped on a long teal colored robe over her naked form, she stopped when her eyes rested on a twinkling trinket sitting on her vanity. Her sapphire colored orbs widened slightly as she leaned forward to touch the small snowflake ornament that was forged out of pure Swarovski Crystal. On the bottom, was her name etched with a laser as well as _'Winter Wonderland'_ below it. She blinked, coming to a brilliant idea.

 _'Of course!'_ she thought to herself with a slow smile building up on her face.

* * *

"An amusement park? _Wow_ -" Jaime breathed in with wide brown eyes as he walked alongside Jack through the hospital halls as he carried a rather heavy, but compact box in his arms. "I heard Winter Wonderland's really expensive too - since they need to keep producing fake snow year-round." He chuckled as he lightheartedly commented, "well I guess the entrance fee isn't really an issue for Elsa. Anyways, hope you have fun, Jack! Take lots of pictures! I might want to take Sophie there soon. Gotta save up first though. Oh - and happy birthday!"

Jack laughed softly, always finding Jaime's lighthearted personality a nice change of pace in his life. "Thanks, Jaime," he said gratefully. After another dreary, unsuccessful therapy session, he enjoyed his childhood friend's company greatly. Jaime brought a sort of childish wonder that he missed, back into his life.

The brunette grinned toothily before letting his lips form a perfect 'O' shape as he suddenly stopped in mid-walk. " _Wait, wait_!" he urged Jack to stop as he carefully balanced the box on one arm as he used the other to reach around to his back pants pocket. "I actually got you something - a present! I just have to... _wah_!" He ungracefully fumbled, losing the balance he had on the box and letting it fall onto the ground and spilling its contents all over the clean hospital hallway.

Jack made an attempt to catch it, but he was caught so off-guard that he barely had time to do so. The colorful contents scattered the floor and at first glance, he made them out to be candies of some sort, only to be proven wrong once he knelt down and picked one up. His eyes narrowed at the small package he held, then they flickered over to the brunette as he looked at him with an intense amount of scrutiny. "Jaime…"

The young man blushed a bright pink as he hastily tried to clean up the mess by shoving the colorful packages back into the box by the handfuls. "Y - Yes, Jack?" he asked, fully aware of what he would be asked.

He was blunt with him. "... _Why_ are you carrying around a huge box filled with _condoms_ …?"

"I - It's not what you think!" Jaime quickly blurted out, immensely embarrassed by the predicament he was in. "It's for a sex ed class the hospital's hosting in one of their education centers across the campus! They asked me to help out since I'm part of the target age group…" he mumbled, bowing his head.

"But... _this many_ …?"

Jaime slanted his hazel eyes off to the side. "Don't ask me why the hospital ordered so many. They intend to give all of this out, you know." He glanced up at Jack and when the two met eyes, the white haired man let out a stifled snort, causing Jaime to follow suit.

Jack tossed the strip of condoms he held back into the box with a flick of his wrist. He chuckled rather immaturely, sharing in a roaring laughter with Jaime and creating quite a sight for those that passed by - two young men laughing over a box of spilled condoms, _totally_ normal.

" _God_ ," he said, finally catching his breath and stifling his laughter as he helped Jaime pick up the rest of it. "...I haven't laughed like that since - " He stopped himself as he dumped another handful into the box. His expression fell to that of morose content, but a smile remained on his face. " - since in a while," he stated softly.

Jaime peered over at his friend as he picked up the last of them, letting a smile play upon his own face. It made him happy knowing that he was helping Jack's emotional state. "I know that when we first met, you were actually shy and withdrawn, but remember how I told you to smile?"

Curious as to where he was going with this, Jack simply nodded.

"Well…" he let out a humorless laugh, "smiling all the time doesn't make you happy, as I later found out, but you should keep smiling anyways."

He wrinkled his brow. "Why?"

"I don't know...I just think that such a sad expression doesn't really suit a person like you," Jaime said, shrugging as he stood up, hoisting the box back into his arms. He waited until Jack stood up, before speaking once more. "You like having fun, don't you? You like making other people smile?" He broke into a sheepish grin. "I'm sure you like making Elsa smile, at least."

Jack looked away, a little blush growing on his face at the mention of the blond.

Jaime laughed as he led the way back down the hallway, continuing on their way. "You should smile for her sake then. I'm not sure if I could speak for her, but I'm sure seeing _you_ happy would in turn, make _her_ happy."

The young man reflected upon Jaime's words and eventually came to an agreement. "Yeah, it would," he whispered, the corners of his lips being tugged upwards as he shoved his hands into his pants pockets. It never occurred to him that this dry spell was not only affecting him, but also his girlfriend. One thing led to another and he slowly began to realize that Elsa had also been hurting, but she had gotten good at hiding it. He did notice that she would frequently stay almost the entire day at the corporation, even on the weekends. Perhaps she was just trying to distract herself so that she would not let the depressing events affect her that much.

Upon coming to his realization, Jack let out a sharp, but heaving sigh, clearing his lungs. "...Thanks, Jaime," he said, feeling grateful for the small reality check that the brunette gently guided him towards.

"Of course," he replied, beaming brightly. "Oh, right! _Aaaaa_ -nd…" Jaime reached around back once more and managed to fish out the present he had been meaning to give Jack earlier. It made a little sound as it left his pocket. "Sorry if it's a little cheesy," the lanky boy commented, sheepishly laughing as he handed it to his friend. "I found it buried in one of the photo albums my mom kept before she passed away. I almost forgot about it, but - "

"Jaime... _this_ \- " Jack's eyes widened as he held the small, key chain sized picture frame in his hand. He looked up into the brunette's eyes, wondering if this was truly okay.

"It's okay, Jack. Take it. It's your birthday present after all," Jaime responded, laughing again.

The white haired man ran his fingertips across the sleek metal of the picture frame, then over his and Jaime's faces when they were kids. They were both grinning ear to ear, quite thoroughly enjoying each other's company and having fun - something that Jack nearly forgot the feeling of in recent months. He smiled at the picture, his ten year old self smiling back at him. This was who he was, a fun-loving, spirited person that wouldn't let anything bring him down.

Unable to express himself enough with just a simple _'thank you'_ again, Jack stopped Jaime by the shoulder and pulled him into a hug, to whatever extent the box let them. It was so sudden, that the freckled boy nearly dropped the box again. "Jack?" he asked his friend, widening his eyes at the warm gesture.

The young man pulled away, slightly embarrassed by the display of gratefulness he showed. "Sorry it's just...I don't know how else I can thank you...for everything," he muttered, unsure of how to show his earnest happiness.

Jaime stared at him for the longest time before breaking into a boyish grin. "Us being friends is a 'thank you' enough for me." He shared in a warm hearted smile with Jack before he discreetly shoved his hand into the box full of condoms. Very casually, he dumped a few into Jack's hand, much to the other man's surprise.

"Jaime... - ?" he asked, dumbfounded.

" _Please_ take some off of my hands," the brunette urged desperately. "The hospital's director ordered me to give out all of them, but only ten people signed up for the sex ed class today. There's no way I could hand out this entire box to just ten of them."

Jack let out a dry laugh. "So you're giving them to me?"

Jaime pouted his lips a little as he furrowed his brow. "You might have more of a use for them...since like - you have a girlfriend...to... _you know_ …"

He tried to maintain his composure, but Jack could feel the heat creeping up his neck. "And you think that just because I have Elsa, I'm going to use a handful of these? I'll pass," he said, dumping all, but one back into the box.

The hazel eyed man made a little scrutinizing face when he saw Jack slipping the condom into the pocket of his blazer. "If you're going to take one, at least take two!" he urged, holding the box out in front of him.

Jack rolled his eyes a little as he chuckled. "I have more respect for her than that, Jaime."

His freckled cheeks turned a bright red, out of irritation and embarrassment. "I'm not asking you to have _more sex_ with her! I'm just asking you to take these off of my hands! You can throw them away later if you want!"

All Jack did was laugh in response as Jaime continued to plead with him. He felt a bit guilty for laughing at Jaime's expense, but at the same time, he relished the small sense of relief and normalcy he felt in what felt like forever. It felt nice to smile…

...it felt nice to laugh genuinely.

* * *

The cold air bit at Jack's nose as soon as he stepped out from the elevators and into the underground parking garage of the hospital. He caught a whiff of the damp smell of melted snow and motor oil as he made his way towards his car. Due to him walking Jaime over to the other side of the campus and taking his time saying goodbye, Jack was leaving the hospital a little bit later than usual. Nightfall was approaching quickly as he walked through the half-empty visitors' parking lot at a brisk pace. He couldn't wait until he could get into his car and put the heaters on full blast on his ride back home.

As he pulled up the knit scarf he wore, over his nose, he stopped dead in his tracks when he heard noises behind him. Jack whipped around, only to find himself staring into the bleak darkness that shrouded parts of the parking structure that were not illuminated with lamps. When he saw nothing, he turned back around and started his walk back to the car, only to grow still once more at the sound of someone running up to him.

Suddenly feeling vulnerable without his gun or his long-lost extendable staff, Jack resorted to raising his fists up in a defensive position in front of his face as he spun around on his heel. He was about ready to swing a punch at whoever was approaching him so ominously, when he drew in a sharp, terrified gasp at who he saw in front of him.

"Jack…?"

That sickly sweet smile, those round gray eyes that brimmed with a false innocence, her long raven colored hair - there was no denying it. It was Sera.

She giggled childishly as she stood before him. "What's wrong, Jack? You look like you've seen a ghost." She took a step forward and he promptly took a step back.

 _"No_ ," he breathed out, steeling his nerves. "You're not real. You're _dead_. Elsa told me that you died in that apartment fire."

Sera seemed ignore what he said as she slowly made her way towards him. "...What's wrong, Jack?" she asked him again, her voice suddenly sounding genuinely concerned as she finally walked right up to him. She tilted her head slightly as she looked up at him, staring directly into his eyes.

"You…" he replied, his voice soft at first, but quickly growing in volume. "Don't ask me what's wrong when _you're_ the one that made me like this!" Jack backed away from her, his expression was that of an incredulous grin. He let out a mirthless laugh, loudly. "Because of you...because of what you did to me - " As he replayed bits and pieces of what he could remember of his horrible ordeal, Jack felt all the innocent happiness he felt earlier, drain from his body. He let out a shuddering breath, staring at her wide-eyed as a growing malice dilated his pupils.

She laughed, causing him to grow still with shock. Did she find this amusing? Sera's small body shook as she held a pale hand over her mouth. "You think blaming me for what happened is going to change anything, Jack?"

Jack drew in a sharp breath when he felt her reach out towards him and gently caress his cheek. She felt all _too real_ and that sent shivers down his spine.

"It may be my fault that you became like this, but it's your fault that you're staying like this," she told him with blunt honesty.

A look of realization crossed Jack's face as she slowly withdrew her hand from him. However, he continued to stubbornly deny it. "I'm not the one giving myself nightmares every time I sleep! Why would I purposely hold myself back from getting better? I want to get better!"

"Or so you say," Sera said with a light giggle.

The silvery-white haired man drew back slightly, his brows knitted together in agitation.

She looked off to the side as she asked him languidly, "what are you afraid of, Jack Frost?"

He stared at her in confusion at the sudden question. Apprehensively, he asked back, "why do you want to know - ?"

" - I think," she started, cutting into his sentence, "what scares you the most, throughout your entire life, is being unloved and forgotten - being invisible and forced to live in loneliness. It's why you're going through so much trouble to protect Elsa, isn't it? She's the one person that treasures your existence no matter what and you know that."

Jack let his gaze drop to the cold floor of the parking garage. He said nothing, even though he knew what he was hearing was the truth. He raised his head when he felt Sera's small hand brush against his cheek again. She looked at him with a serene look in her dazzling gray eyes, a look that he never saw on her before. For once, she looked at him with a normal, loving gaze as she leaned in close to him. He didn't react at all when he felt her give him a light kiss, a mere brush of their lips.

"Don't let that fear hold you back," she whispered lightly as she pulled away. Her eyes flickered up to him modestly and she let out an almost heartbroken chuckle. "...I was so fixated on you because you seemed like a doll that wouldn't break so easily no matter what I did. Yes…" Sera quietly contemplated, stepping away from the young man. A warm smile decorated her face. "Despite how weak you became, you still had determination and a cold focus in your eyes. I liked it a lot...and I'm sure Elsa does too. Don't let what happened, deter you, Jack. Don't let what happened take the focus out of your eyes... "

Jack blinked and in that split second, Sera disappeared from view. Bewildered at what he just went through, he took a staggering step back and looked all around the dark garage. There were a couple of cars parked here and there throughout that level of the parking structure, but he could find no signs that anyone other than him was there. Taking one last look around, he quickly turned and continued his walk back towards his car.

He dug his hands into the pockets of his pants upon reaching the blue sedan and he stopped suddenly once he fished out his car keys. For a while, he simply stood there, processing what he had just gone through. He reflected deeply on Sera's words and very slowly, he began to realize that it was all true. While she may have caused him to become like this, she certainly wasn't the one holding him back.

It was his own _fear_ holding him back.

Jack clenched his fists, finding the courage within him to come to a resolve. He _needed_ to keep Elsa safe.

That was always his intended goal and he had to see it to the end - _no matter what._

* * *

The clock display flashed that it was nearly midnight.

Elsa stretched her thin arms high up above her, yawning rather loudly as she did so. She felt mentally exhausted from reviewing the information that pertained to her company for the entire evening. Kai was really relentless with teaching her all she needed to know before she could take full control over the corporation and while Elsa was happy that there was someone willing to help her out to this extent - there was also someone willing to help her out to this extent.

She fell back against the various silk and cotton pillows that adorned the head of her queen-sized bed. Sleep began to weigh down her eyelids and for a while, she laid there, drifting in and out of sleep. Finally, she decided that she had enough of looking over meeting notes and financial gibberish, and decided to call it a night. She gathered all the paperwork and carefully took the time to organize them back into their proper folders before dropping them at the foot of her bed.

With a satisfied, dreamy sigh, Elsa hopped back up onto her bed and reached over to turn off the lamp resting on her nightstand. Just when her room was immersed in a cozy darkness, her eyes shot open at the sound of a knock.

"Wendy?" she asked, sitting up in her bed slightly. She cocked her head to the side as she got out of bed, the silence fueling her curiosity. When she opened the door, it was someone who she least expected to be standing there. "...Jack?"

Elsa looked up at the tall, young man's face, trying to read it. She quickly let her eyes drop to his attire and saw that he was still in his usual bodyguard suit.

"I thought you were asleep," she said to him. "Where were you? It's nearly midnight," she rambled on worriedly. "I thought you said you'd just go to the hospital and come back after your appointment - !"

The platinum blond let out a soft gasp when she suddenly found herself in Jack's strong embrace. Her eyes grew wide as she let her body subconsciously relax into his arms. Although she had no idea as to the reason for this sudden display of affection, she did nothing to push him away. She had been craving his touch for so long that this offered up a much needed reprieve to her needs.

Jack nuzzled the side of her head, burying his nose into the soft blond tendrils at the top of her head in an attempt to take in her sweet scent. Afterwards, he let out a disheartened sigh and whispered, "I'm sorry, Elsa."

She wrinkled her brow and asked, "sorry? For what?" Elsa turned her head slightly to the side, to what extent his hug allowed her to do so. She caught a glimpse of his face and she softly called out to him, "Jack…?"

He said nothing to her as he pulled away just enough to brush his lips past her cheek. A little surprised squeak escaped her and he chuckled at the innocent reaction. With a solemn sigh, he rested his forehead against hers and muttered, "just…" He hesitated, unable to tell her the real reason for his apology. "Just because," he concluded, causing her to pull away from him.

"Jack…" she said to him worriedly. She grabbed at his arms and quietly pulled them off of her. For a while, she looked directly up into his eyes, hoping to find the truth behind them. "Did something happen?" she questioned.

The white haired man broke into a gentle smile. "Yeah, but don't worry...it's nothing serious or bad, _Ice Queen_."

Elsa felt her heart skip a beat at the sound of the endearing nickname only Jack called her. It had been so long since she heard it spoken from his mouth. "O - Oh," she could only dumbly reply, starting to feel shy in front of him. "It's just...you came in so late and all of a sudden you're apologizing over nothing."

Jack noticed her blushing a light pink as she modestly tucked a lock of loose blond hair behind her ear. She looked beautiful and he had a growing desire to touch her again.

He swallowed the lump in his throat and carefully brought his hand up to cup her small chin. Elsa looked at him, shocked, when she felt a feather light kiss upon her lips. Her stomach did a somersault at that moment and she desperately wished that Jack's lips lingered upon hers for a second longer because she let out a cross between a whine and whimper when he pulled away.

Once she realized what she had done, Elsa blushed a bright tomato red and clapped a hand over her mouth as she avoided his eyes at all costs. She eventually let out a wry laugh as she felt herself being studied underneath Jack's curious gaze. "...I'm so pathetic," she breathed out, holding her head. "Just because we haven't kissed each other in months, I'm acting like some lovesick idiot. Even when you held my hand a few days ago...I was _so happy_ then too."

Jack blushed a little, feeling elated on the inside that the normally stoic and collected Elsa was now spilling her feelings about him. She had been desiring him all this time and a sudden bittersweet emotion filled him up at the realization. He let out a sigh. "The reason why I said _'sorry_ ' was because…"

The platinum blond looked up at him, blinking curiously.

"...I'm sure I hurt you when I pulled away from your kiss a while back...and for being so distant all this time."

Elsa looked at his apologetic expression in concern. "Why did you…?" she gently asked.

Jack raised his head so that he could meet her eyes. He parted his mouth to speak, but quickly closed it, unable to outright tell her the reason why he avoided physical contact with her. "It's n - "

" - don't say it's nothing," she cut in. Elsa took hold of his hand and held it tightly, as if she was preventing him from avoiding her further. They stood in silence before she gently brought him into her room. "Please tell me, Jack," she begged as she saw him closing the door behind him.

Jack's eyes darted away from hers. Having spent so many years together since they were children, Elsa knew that he was hiding something from her, yet again.

"Jack… -"

"You're right," he responded, keeping his voice at an even level. Jack took a hold of both her hands in his and gave them a little squeeze before letting go of them. She saw his arms go up and start to unravel the scarf he wore.

The air around them grew ominous and suddenly Elsa grew slightly frightened at what she was about to witness. Nevertheless, she kept her eyes on Jack as he removed his blazer, then his tie, and when he began working on popping off the buttons to his white shirt, she visibly swallowed. She had an inkling feeling of what he was going to show her…

Elsa clasped her trembling hands as her eyes rested upon the large scar where his Guardian tattoo used to be. She let out the breath she had been holding in at the sight of the rather grotesque burn injury that marred his otherwise perfect skin.

Jack took notice of her reaction and the hand that held open his shirt, tightened. "...Sera didn't want me to be found," he explained to her as he slowly began to unravel the bandages that covered the back of his right hand. When the bandages dropped to the floor, Elsa flinched at the sight of an identical burn mark adorning the back of his palm. "...It's _disgusting_ , isn't it?" he commented with a mirthless laugh.

The blond said nothing to him, still in shock over seeing the burns in full view. She had only seen them covered in bandages and since Jack wasn't one to walk around shirtless inside the house, this was her first exposure to the extent of his injuries. Elsa brought her hands up to his chest and held them there in tight little fists, unable to fathom the true horrors and pain that Jack must have gone through.

"How I couldn't even fight her off when she was burning me...torturing me… _r_ -" Jack stopped, suddenly growing completely silent and still, unable to bring himself to finish his sentence. He let his hands drop to his sides, lifelessly, and Elsa watched as he dropped his head, letting his silvery-white bangs obscuring his eyes from her view.

Being as sharp and astute as she was, Elsa's brow furrowed as she quietly stepped closer to him, a new realization dawning upon her. "Jack," she cautiously called out to him. "It's not your fault. You can't expect yourself to win against everyone. Sera being a woman doesn't change any of that."

It began to make sense to Elsa as to the explanation behind Jack's behavior the past few months. The slow feeling of guilt began swirling around inside of her at her own selfish desires for more physical contact with him when he was traumatized by such a horrific ordeal. She reached out to comfort him, but stopped herself suddenly, sharply withdrawing her hand in the process.

Jack took notice of this and peered up at her.

"S - Sorry," Elsa stammered nervously. "I just feel so - _rotten_ right now. All this time, I've been giving you space, but secretly, I've just been wondering when you'd get better. All because I wanted to satisfy my own desires." She bit on her bottom lip as she felt the sting of tears in her eyes. "I have no right to touch you...not when you've been so respectful and supportive to me with what I went through with Edwin, but I'm just stuck here with these impure thoughts towards you, while you're suffering."

He saw the first tear slip out from her eyes, to which she quickly brought a hand up to wipe away. "Elsa…"

She widened her eyes upon feeling Jack bring her into his arms once again.

"...You did what you thought was right. I chose not to tell you any of this until now, so you couldn't have possibly known." Jack brought his hand up to rest upon her head. "And your thoughts towards me are only natural, isn't it?"

Elsa sunk into the warmth of his embrace, her tears quelling as she silently listened to him.

"If you love someone, you'd want to feel all of them," he whispered. "There's nothing rotten about that at all. ...I feel the same way towards you after all."

Her heart fluttered at his words and she wrapped her arms around him tighter, never wanting to let him go.

He smiled as he held her close, gently closing his eyes as he felt her heartbeat against his chest. It sounded like a soothing lullaby to him - a steady rhythm that assured him that she was physically here right in front of him.

Elsa buried her tear soaked face into his chest and muttered in a stubborn tone, "then...don't you dare leave again, okay?" Her arms that encircled his waist squeezed him.

Jack closed his eyes, gently running his fingers through her shoulder-length hair. His lips turned up into a saddened smile that hid his innermost thoughts as he answered her, "I won't, Ice Queen."

* * *

It was early in the morning - five to be exact. Despite having only slept for a few hours, Jack sat at the edge of Elsa's bed, looking down lovingly at the sleeping expression his girlfriend wore. He smiled, pulling up the bed sheets up to her face to better cover her bare shoulders from the cold morning air. She stirred slightly, but continued to sleep.

Jack picked himself up off the bed, threw on his blazer, and collected the rest of his belongings. As he picked up his phone that was laid upon Elsa's nightstand, his eyes dimmed at the sight of a text message. His eyes flickered over to the platinum blond, checking to make sure that she was still sound asleep, and made his way quietly out of her room.

It was still a bit dark outside, with the sun lazily peeking out over the ice capped mountains that surrounded Arendelle. The brisk morning air always served to refresh him and bring up his spirits, but this time it failed to do so because he knew that upon stepping outside of the Winters' mansion, he would come face to face with the sender of the text message.

"You don't sleep?" he rather callously questioned the golden haired blond standing a few steps away from him in the snow covered driveway.

Astrid raised a sharply groomed eyebrow at his attitude towards her. "Ever heard of early risers?"

Jack didn't answer her, unwilling to play along with her verbal tirade. "What do you want, Astrid?"

"Huh. Rather straight to the point - "

" - Isn't that what you prefer?"

She crossed her arms over her chest. "Very well, Frost. Since you kept me waiting out here for a couple of minutes, I'd also like to get this over with as soon as possible." Her eyes reflected her usual haughty nature as she asked him bluntly, "why won't you speak with Manny?"

Jack turned away with a sharp scoff. He growled out, "that again…I should have known."

"He's serious about speaking with you. Why don't you understand that?" She tried to reason with him, only to find him retaliating back with a simmering anger.

"I have no reason to speak with someone that casted me out from the Guardians already. I no longer work for him and I sure as hell don't answer to him either."

"Frost - "

"Tell him to _fuck off._ "

Astrid grit her teeth and took an aggressive step towards him. She just about had it with his stubbornness. "This isn't about you! It's about Elsa too!" The mention of her seemed to grab Jack's attention, although he wasn't completely sold on it. "Manny has a plan, Jack. A plan that he wants you in on," she elaborated, only to receive another scoff from the young man.

"I'm done being some glorified puppet for someone that doesn't even give a damn about me," Jack snapped out, "I only exist when he finds it convenient and if you think I'm content living a life like that - "

" - Manny still kept you around even after you went _rogue_ on everyone."

Jack shot Astrid a suspicious glare. "...What are you talking about?"

The female bodyguard countered the glare with one matching his own. "He knows fully well that you were told of your parents all those years ago. He knew that you were taking orders from someone other than him and Elsa Winters, but he didn't say anything to you or to the other Guardians because he didn't want to tip you off."

"Hm," he grunted skeptically. "Well at least Manny doesn't have to worry about me anymore."

"Frost - "

"I'm not speaking with him, Astrid. And that's final. I don't know what plan he's cooking up, but I'm protecting Elsa, my own way, _without anyone_ else's help."

Astrid wrinkled her brow at his words. She started slowly, "you do know that Manny is well aware of who's behind all of this - the same person that's targeting Elsa is the same person that killed your parents. They set all the powerful families of Burgess against each other and they're the ones that you obediently took orders from for the past eight years."

She noticed his odd gaze and her eyes widened upon hearing, "...I know."

Drawing in a sharp breath, Astrid blurted out, "you knew what that person did and you _still_ took orders from them? What exactly were you hoping to accomplish, Jack? They're extremely manipulative and dangerous! You can't handle them all by yourself!" She was in complete disbelief over this revelation.

"And you think Manny Lunanoff can stop him with the help of your masters?"

"They have a better shot at bringing him down than you do!"

Jack clenched his teeth and shouted, "and at what cost!? If the Lunanoffs and the Haddocks get involved, the conflict isn't going to stay private. It's going to get publicized to hell once the media gets wind of it and I'm not dragging Elsa into this mess even if it's the last thing I do!"

Astrid blinked, then drew back slightly at his outburst. "So…" she slowly continued, "it really is him, A -"

" - Dont'," Jack harshly interrupted with a sharp exhale. "Don't say his name. Not here of all places."

She focused her cerulean blue eyes on him in a steady gaze and she muttered, "you really think you can stop him with just your own strength? And protect Elsa from him at the same time?"

"I can," he said with an undeterred confidence. "I will. I _have_ to - for her sake."

"Why are you going so far for her?" Astrid questioned softly. "It can't just be because you're her bodyguard...or boyfriend for that matter."

"Because...I don't want her to lose respect in her own flesh and blood. I never want her to know how filthy this world is. She doesn't deserve it." Jack dropped his gaze and the two bodyguards remained in an unspoken silence for the longest time until he broke it. "I know we aren't on the best of terms, Astrid - "

She looked at him inquisitively.

"But I want to ask you for a request," he said with a soft whisper.

"And that would be…?"

"I have no doubts that Thiana will do her job as Elsa's bodyguard, but another set of eyes wouldn't hurt," Jack muttered, earning him another confused look from Astrid. "Please look after Elsa when I'm gone."

A pair of blue eyes widened.

Astrid let her arms drop to her sides as she stared at him, bewildered by what he said. " _Gone_?" she asked incredulously. "What are you saying, Frost? You're...you're leaving now?"

"No, but soon. It's the best course of action," he explained, avoiding the blond's eyes and completely unaware of her mounting anger towards him. "It's better if Elsa doesn't get involved with me any further. Not with what I have to do - "

"Bullshit!" the young woman shouted. "You think leaving her is going to solve anything? Do you know how much Elsa cried over you while you were in the hospital? She would go visit you everyday, even when Bunnymund advised against it. She spent so much time looking for you when you went missing! Elsa loves you so damn much and you're still willing to inflict so much pain on her!?"

Jack saw Astrid panting, trying to catch her breath after the anger-fueled rant. He remained unchanging, however. Instead, he chuckled wryly, flashing her a lopsided grin. "Why are you getting so worked up over our affairs, Astrid? It isn't any of your concern - "

"You _self-righteous bastard_ \- !" In a fit of rage, she took hold of the collar of his shirt and seethed at him. "You're right, it isn't any of my concern, but your fake ass nobility _pisses_ me off." Her hands shook from how hard she was gripping at Jack's collar. "Do you even truly love her? How much can you keep hurting her until you feel just _a drop of guilt_ in your heart?"

He remained calm, almost giving off an impassive stare at the blond and further serving to anger her. "It's because I _love_ her...that I'm _leaving_ her," Jack replied, prompting Astrid to snarl at him in disgust.

She roughly pushed him back, causing him to stagger back briefly before he caught his balance. "If you want to leave her that badly then...you know what? Maybe it is best that you leave her for good." Astrid grit her teeth and whispered out against the gently stirring wind, "...Elsa deserves better. Not a _half-assed coward_ like you."

Jack lowered his eyes thoughtfully for a moment before smiling sullenly. "...I think so too," he answered back, unaware that he had left the front door open behind him open just a crack, enough for any prying ears to hear -

Enough for Elsa to hear as she stood by the door, her back pressed flat against the wall and her dainty hand clasped tightly over her mouth in shock.

"...You still didn't answer my question, Frost," she heard Astrid say to him. "Why are you going so far for Elsa's sake? This is beyond the love a bodyguard or a boyfriend could have for anyone. _Why her_?"

Elsa heard nothing, but silence until Jack's surprising answer that nearly brought her to tears.

"I want her to continue smiling, even without me. You're right...Elsa deserves better. She deserves a man that could keep her smiling forever. She deserves it...I intend to create a world like that for her - even if I can't be a part of it."

A cold wind blew into the entrance hall and she tightly held together her robe, trying to keep herself warm, but with no avail as a violent shiver went through her lithe body.

For once, the cold _did_ bothered her and she absolutely _despised_ the feeling.


	30. To The Lying You

**Marionette**

 **Chapter 30 - To The Lying You**

 _Warnings: Sexual themes ( *** * *** \- indicates the section where it starts and stops for those that don't want to read the lemon scene. It won't be too dirty, but the warning's there for those underaged/sensitive folks.)_

* * *

 _"In order to protect you..."_

He could practically feel those golden, hazel eyes boring holes through him as he stood there motionless, each muscle stiffened. Jack stared at him back, sporting an impassive, level-headed gaze with his cold, blue eyes. He saw the man crack a lopsided grin, the tips of his pearly white teeth peeking out from behind his thin lips.

"So, you were recommended to me by a rather... _questionable source_. Tell me - what is your name, young man?"

"Jack."

The black haired man rolled his eyes before narrowing them in annoyance. "Your _full_ name."

"... Jackson Overland."

* * *

Elsa checked her outfit in the mirror for the umpteenth time. The longer she stared at herself, at practically any angle, the frown upon her face deepened. Eventually, she gave up with a sigh, her shoulders heaving up and down in a grand motion.

Before she could take anything off to try another outfit, she was stopped by a knock on the door. "Come in!" she answered.

Anna bursted into her bedroom excitedly. "I heard someone's going out on a date today!" she sang out, prompting a loud 'shush' from her sister.

"A little louder, why don't you?" Elsa said pointedly before being interrupted by Anna's high pitched squeal.

"You look hot, Sis!" she exclaimed.

The platinum blond cringed inwardly at the mere mention of the word and quickly tried to shed her clothes. She scrunched up her face in clear displeasure and quickly muttered, "forget it, I'm _definitely_ changing out of this - "

"No wait!" Anna practically pleaded, lunging forth and grabbing a hold of Elsa's arm. "It's a good thing! You look really good in it!" she continuously reassured her.

Elsa made a slight face as she looked back in the mirror. "Why did you buy skirts only?" she asked with a grimace.

"Have you _seen_ your legs?" Anna asked with a smirk and a raised eyebrow. When her sister did not answer, the red head snickered immaturely. "Well _Jack_ sure did." She nodded in agreement with her own thoughts. " _Mhm_ \- I always knew he'd be a _'leg'_ guy."

All she did was scoff as she desperately tried to pull down the white one piece mini dress that was trim-lined with faux fur and buttoned up in the front like a trench coat. It was the only thing that was stylish enough for a date, but modest enough for Elsa to consider wearing. "This is still way too short," she grumbled.

"You're wearing hot pants underneath, right?"

A nod.

"Then it's fine!" Anna reassured. "Plus, the boots you're wearing come up past your knees. You're more than adequately covered."

Elsa looked back in the mirror and gave the short dress a pull again, hoping to minimize the amount of skin she was showing on her smooth thighs.

"Would you _relax_?" her younger sister said exasperatedly. "It's fine to dress like this once in awhile, right? Guys like it when a girl they like takes the time to dress cute for them. Plus, you're going out with Jack for his birthday."

 _'That's right.'_ Elsa reminded herself that she and Jack were going out for his birthday. She set it up so that they could have fun after a long period of dry conversations and hardships between them. It would be a nice reprieve - _hopefully._

"Hmm," Anna quietly contemplated as she looked at her phone. "It says it might rain later on in the day, but don't worry! It looks like it'll be at around midnight. You guys should be back before then."

All Elsa did was let out a nervous laugh. "That's great," she said with a sarcastic undertone.

"It's fine, it's fine! I'm sure nothing will happen! These weather reports are always wrong." She quickly waved her hand. "Now, hurry up! Jack's waiting for you downstairs. He looks pretty good too, if I do say so myself," Anna said with a snicker, building up Elsa's curiosity.

As the two sisters made their way towards the entrance hall, the eldest asked, "you said Kristoff's coming over later, right?"

Anna nodded excitedly, her azure eyes lighting up in happiness. However, she immediately said in a panic, "I - I know I told you he's bringing over Sven, but he assured me that Sven's well-trained. I promise he won't break anything. I'll make sure of it!"

All Elsa did was giggle softly. "You two hang out a lot recently, don't you?"

" _Erm_ , well, kinda...I guess -"

" - You so do."

There was an undeniable blush on Anna's face and Elsa knew that her little sister was slowly developing a crush on Kristoff, although if she were to be questioned on it, she would deny it strongly - like she was now. Anna rolled her eyes. "I do not," she insisted, "I told you, I'm taking a break from romance. I didn't even schedule a date for Valentine's this year!"

Elsa laughed dryly. "You _do_ have a point."

When the two girls made it to the entrance hall, Elsa's eyes automatically went to Jack, who was leaning against the banister, waiting for her. Upon hearing her footsteps, he turned around and the two locked gazes, causing her heart to practically skip a beat.

The way Anna described him would have been an understatement. He wore a black military style jacket with the sleeves rolled halfway up his arms, paired with an off-white graphic shirt underneath and a warm blue scarf wrapped around his neck. Coupled with a pair of black slim-fit jeans and military style boots, he looked extremely stylish - and comfortable.

Elsa frowned a little as she tugged on the hem of her short dress. What she wouldn't give to be in a pair of pants right now.

Anna squealed against as she rushed her sister down the stairs, practically shoving her into Jack's arms. "You two look so good together! As expected, of course," she continued haughtily, "I believe I have a knack for coordinating outfits."

All Jack did was chuckle in response to the young girl's brimming confidence, as he led Elsa by her hand. "Well, I guess we'll be off," he said lightheartedly. His voice turned stern for a brief moment, "don't burn down the house while we're gone."

"I won't!" the teen insisted with an annoyed huff.

"We mean it, Anna. I'd like the house in one piece too when we get back. You know Wendy and some of the other servants have the weekend off," Elsa gently reminded, eliciting a loud groan from her little sister.

She rolled her eyes sarcastically and said in response, "I got it, _Mom, Dad_."

As the couple left the house and went towards Jack's car, Elsa apologetically walked beside him and said, "sorry for making you drive. I was going to have Simon drop us off, but he wanted to take the weekend off as well and Thiana said that she had some errands to run in Wendy's place."

"It's fine," Jack insisted with his trademark, lopsided grin. "It's a bit of a far drive and...it gives us more time together - _alone_ ," he said with a light blush.

The blond heated up at the very thought and she nervously clutched at the leather strap of her white handbag, digging her thumbnail into it. "Y - Yeah," she stammered. She gave him a sidelong glance. He seemed to be acting normally. At this, her gaze dropped, suddenly remembering the talk that he had with Astrid, which she had the misfortune of overhearing. What he said remained in the back of her mind, as much as she tried to dismiss it or pretend like it never happened.

How could he act so carefree after saying such words? He seemed happier than before, almost reverting back to the Jack she knew before the incident with Sera. Was he happy about leaving her? It confused her greatly and what she hated the most was Jack not saying anything about it to her.

"Hey Elsa?" he asked as they reached his car.

She snapped out of her daze. "H - Huh?"

He cocked his head to the side slightly. "Aren't you getting in?"

"Oh, right!" She laughed sheepishly as she opened up the passenger side door. "Sorry," she quickly apologized. As she and Jack slid into the car, she tried explain away her odd behavior. "I must be tired," she said, trying her best to smile at him and pretend everything was okay.

"You can sleep on the way," he said as he started the ignition. "It's almost an hour drive." Jack gave her a heartwarming smile, followed by a gentle caress of her cheek, which would normally cause her to shy away in embarrassment, but this time, only caused a stabbing pain in her chest.

" _Mm_ ," she sadly hummed, leaning back into the seat as she looked out the window with a morose look in her eyes. She was hardly tired, but she closed her eyes anyways as Jack started the drive.

The last thing she wanted to do was ruin his birthday - especially since it might be the _last one_ they would spend together.

* * *

All he could hear were the ambient sounds of the park Aster had agreed to meet Thiana in. He blew a single puff of smoke out from his mouth as he let her slowly process the information that he provided about what was going on within the Guardians now.

"So…" she began, "Manny finally revealed his reasons for trying to revive his family's name."

Aster let out a long, drawn out sigh, another stream of smoke flowing past his beige lips. He held the cigarette in his mouth as he spoke. "Yeah. I thought he was being a heartless bastard by casting Frostbite out, but when he explained that it was all part of his plan to defeat the person behind all this, it...kinda made sense."

"And who's that?" she questioned, "a Pitchiner? They're the ones that murdered Manny's parents, aren't they?"

The lanky man pulled the cigarette out from his mouth and blew out once more. "Don't know. He didn't say. He doesn't say much in the first place, so...it's to be expected." He leaned over with a sigh, resting his elbows against his knees as he sat on the park bench with Thiana. "We do know for sure that it was the Winters that tried to hunt down Manny and in turn, killed Night and Katherine. What we don't know is why. Manny isn't sure why either, even though he may have found out who ordered it. Again, he didn't say too much."

Thiana pursed her brightly colored red lips in discontent with the lack of information. "I guess it can't be helped," she said with a sigh.

Aster peered over at the short woman and casually asked, "how's Frostbite doing, anyways?"

"Good. He seemed to have made more progress in the recent weeks than he had been in the last few months," she said with a light chuckle.

"Hm," Aster grunted. "Stormfly told me that he doesn't want anything to do with Manny."

Thiana let out a forlorn, distant sigh. "I don't blame him. He's still under the impression that Manny casted him out without a second thought. And you even said it yourself, Jack's stubborn."

"Yeah, but, he didn't even want to listen to the plan Manny set up that could protect Winters with the least amount of effort. He said that he wants to do what he had planned - and Manny's none to happy to hear that."

Thiana wrinkled her brow as she shot a look over at Aster. "He's not going to harm, Jack, is he?"

"Not unless Frostbite stands in his way and so far, he hasn't."

As Aster ground the cigarette into the pavement with the heel of his brown dress shoes, the green haired woman said to him, "well...what is Manny's reason for casting Jack out? He knew that he wouldn't respond kindly to it."

"He knew that it would draw the person responsible for everything out of hiding. We know he communicates mainly with Frostbite and if he got wind that he's been cast out from the Guardians, he might re-establish contact with him again. At least it worked," the older man murmured darkly.

"You mean Peter Black? He has gotten more active as of late…"

The gray haired man shook his head as he ran his hand over the roughness of the stubble growing on his chin. "He's one of Manny's targets, but not the big fish in the pond - not the bastard behind _everything_ …"

* * *

Elsa frowned at the photo she saw on Jack's phone. "I look horrible," she bluntly stated, referring to the candid photo he snapped of her was she was eating lunch with him in one of the sit-in diners inside the amusement park.

"You look fine," he snickered, taking his phone back from her.

"Please delete it," she grumpily mumbled, regretting the idea of getting the grilled cheese sandwich and tomato soup combo for lunch. Of course, Jack would swoop in for an opportune photo of the exact moment she bit into the gooey, hot sandwich and got caught with a never ending string of cheese hanging from her mouth. It wasn't a pretty sight, but apparently Jack thought otherwise.

"No way." The white haired young man flashed her a smirk. He saw her frown deepening and he broke into a laugh. "Don't worry," he said with a wave of his hand. "You look cute - well, to me at least."

"J _aaaaa_ ck - !" she whined, flushing red from embarrassment. "It's such a bad picture!"

He let out a sigh of discontent. "Fine, do you want to pose for a photo then?" he asked, taking out his phone again.

She made a little disgruntled face as she looked away from him. "Well...when you say it like that - " Her eyes widened at the sound of the camera shutter and she quickly whipped her head around to face him. "Ah - I wasn't ready!" she retorted, eliciting another laugh from the young man.

Jack let his laughter die down into a soft chuckle as he held a loose fist over his mouth. He looked at the photo he just took, admiring it, and he told her with a toothy grin, "you're cute, regardless, Ice Queen. Even if you're stuffing a grilled cheese sandwich in your mouth."

She huffed when she heard him snickering into his hand. "Well, I'm glad you're having fun at my expense, Jack." Elsa briefly took one last glance up at him as she quietly finished up her meal. He still seemed relatively normal - and that worried her to no end. How could he possibly ignore the fact that he was planning to leave her soon on a moment's notice? Just when was he planning to leave her? How could he smile in such a way knowing this?

As their day went on, she did her best to conceal her worries. They grew gradually throughout the day, much to her chagrin - a bubbling mixture of sadness, anger, and hurt. Whenever he would smile at her or give her playful kisses on her cheek, she would feel a stabbing pain in her chest, for she was conflicted on how she should feel about his affection. Should she accept it at face value? Should she continue to pretend that everything was okay?

"Hey…" Jack called out to her worriedly as they just got off a ride. The exhilaration he felt from the high speed roller coaster quickly left him as he looked back at Elsa, who seemed extremely detached from everything. He reached out to take her hand in his and he saw her expression change for the worse. "Are you okay?" he asked, "are you dizzy from the rides? We can take a break if you want."

The blonde swallowed down the growing lump in her throat as she sharply took her hand away from his. She saw a bit of hurt cross his face at her calloused action and she immediately regretted letting her emotions dictate her behavior. "S - Sorry. I...might need to just go sit down for a while," she told him, avoiding his eyes.

It hurt to even hold hands with him. Normally, she would grow weak in the knees at any sort of affection he gave her, especially with how gentlemanly Jack was acting now, but nothing close to that happened now. All she could think about was how he would be leaving her and the uncertainty of when, was what filled her with dread. Holding hands with him and falling deeper in love felt meaningless to her if he was just going to leave.

Elsa tightly held her arms over her stomach as she sat down on a nearby bench. She heard Jack coming up to her side. "Do you want anything to drink?" he asked as he took a seat beside her. He looked on worriedly and all she could do was continuously avoid his prying eyes.

She shook her head. "I'm fine…" she muttered darkly.

"Are you cold? You can wear my jacket if you want - "

"I'm fine…" Elsa flinched at the feeling of his heavy arm wrapping around her narrow shoulders, in his attempt to comfort her.

"If you want, we can go back to the car so you can rest for a bit - "

"I said I'm fine, Jack!" the young woman snapped out as she suddenly stood up from the bench. She hit his arm away forcefully and she stood there, staring down at him with a wild look in her eyes. It didn't take long for her to realize what she had done when she saw him staring back at her with an equal amount of shock. Elsa immediately regretted her sudden outburst, but could not stop herself from shedding tears.

Jack saw this and gently stood up from the bench. "Elsa…"

She knew she hurt him, but in her mind, he deserved it. So, when he extended his arm out towards her again, she hit it away once more. "Just...stop," she cried softly, taking a step back from him. " _Please_ \- just stop."

"Elsa, why are you - ?" What she said next answered his question.

The never ending tears flowed down her pale cheeks as Elsa shouted hatefully at him, "if you're going to leave me, just do it now!"

" _Leave_?" The first thing that flashed through Jack's mind was an implication of a break-up between them, but then he realized what she might be referring to. "...Elsa," he breathed out, his eyes wide as he watched her desperately trying to hold back tears. She couldn't have possibly known unless - "Elsa, did you overhear what I said to Astrid the other day?...Is that what this is about?"

"Don't act as if it's something minor!" Elsa cried, trying to catch her breath as her tears caused a series of hiccups. She brought a hand up to her stinging eyes. "Were you even going to tell me? H - How could you act s - so normal towards me after making such a decision? Were you just planning to hide it from me this entire t - time?"

Jack bowed his head, his eyes focused on the white snow that lay beneath their feet. "...I thought it was for the best. I thought this way would hurt you less - "

" - You _liar_ ," she blurted out. "This isn't for _my_ benefit. It's for _yours_. You couldn't have thought that if you just get up and leave me one day that I would be okay with it!"

He shot a look of confusion and distress towards her. "Elsa...that's not true - " Before he could even finish his sentence, he saw her take off in a full-blown run. "Elsa!" he shouted out after her. As he too, broke into a run, he was impeded by a sudden, large crowd of people getting off one of the rides. He grit his teeth as he tried to make his way through them, all the while keeping an eye on the platinum blond.

She turned a corner, unsure of just where she was running to in the large amusement park. She could hear Jack calling out for her, only for it to fall on deaf ears. Elsa squeezed her puffy red eyes shut and ran harder than she ever did, knowing that she had to get away from him. She had no desire to speak with him - not now. Not ever.

"Elsa!" she could hear him shouting again.

In a mad dash, she ducked into one of the souvenir shops before she could be seen by him. As she hid behind a large display of snowmen plush dolls, she attracted the attention of some of the store employees.

" _Miss_ ," one of the young female employees asked her in concern. "Are you okay? What happened?"

Breathing heavily, Elsa wasn't sure how to explain this away without causing too much trouble for herself. However, she had little time to think when she heard Jack again. Upon hearing his voice, she ducked down behind the doll display and peeked out, seeing him standing just outside the shop, looking up and down the street in an intense worry. It seemed as though he had no idea that she was hiding just a few feet away from him in the shop.

When he finally took off down the street, away from the shop, Elsa breathed out a sigh of relief and sniffled as the store employee asked her, "is that your boyfriend, Miss? Why are you hiding from him?"

"Ah - _uhm_ \- " Elsa stammered, unwilling to answer her concerns.

Carefully, the employee touched her shoulder and asked, "did he hurt you?" in reference to a physical altercation.

Although she was fully aware of the context of the question, Elsa remained silent, quietly wiping away her tears with the back of her hand. She could not say ' _yes'_ since Jack never did lay a finger on her, but at the same time, she could not say _'no'_ since the fact of the matter was -

Jack really did _hurt_ her.

* * *

The night air felt as if it were plunging dozens of knives into his exposed skin as Jack desperately searched the park. He thought he must have gone around at least three times, checking every store, every nook and cranny, asking every park employee if they had seen Elsa - with some of them thinking that he was looking for a missing child. At the same time, he had half the mind to call Thiana and tell her of the situation, but he quickly decided against it. This was something that he needed to resolve with Elsa.

As he could hear the low, distant rumble of storm clouds approaching the amusement park, he stopped near the 'boardwalk' area and looked around. With the amount of people leaving the park for the night, the crowds diminished greatly, giving Jack an easier time with his search for the young woman. He did not know if it was because of the snow or if it was because of the cold chill he felt within his chest, but it felt a lot colder on this spring night than it ever did in the winter.

"Elsa!" he called out in one last desperate attempt to call out to her. He furrowed his brow, trying to figure out where she could be. Jack checked his phone, wondering if any of the park employees staffed at the exits of the park had contacted him in regards to Elsa.

Nothing.

His eyes scanned over the area, finally coming to rest at the giant snowflake shaped observation wheel that looked like it was still in operation despite it being so close to the closing time of the park. There could be a possibility that she was on there, considering that he had checked literally everywhere - including the women's restrooms (he received his fair share of ear splitting shrieks and obscenities thrown at him by the female patrons).

"Excuse me," he asked the ride operator as he approached the massive structure that glimmered and flashed in different dazzling light patterns.

The part-time employee behind the control panel stopped him, rolling his eyes derisively as he did so. "Ride's closed, sir."

Jack stared at him, deadpanned by his attitude. "I just want to ask if - "

" - Hey! It's almost closing time, lady!" the irate part-timer yelled as he stopped the ride. The spherical capsule came to a rest before them and the motorized door slid open, revealing Elsa sitting inside of it.

She raised her head and immediately locked eyes with Jack. Both of them seemed to be in shock of seeing each other, neither expecting the other. The platinum blond seemed to shy away from him, before sharply standing up onto her feet. She attempted to get off the wheel, striding out, but was stopped when Jack blocked her way.

"Jack," Elsa hissed dangerously. She glared up at him with daggers practically coming out of her eyes, ready to stab at him. "What the hell are you doing - ?"

"Yeah, man," the grumpy part-timer chimed in, "what the hell - ?"

"Once more!" Jack said back to him, practically pleading with the teenager. "Please -" he said with a desperate whisper, "there's still half an hour left until closing and one circuit only takes a few minutes."

The disgruntled operator grimaced at Jack briefly. Any thoughts of clocking out early for his shift left his mind as he unwillingly submitted to the young man's pleas. "Whatever," he snapped out, thinking that one round couldn't hurt, "you got five minutes."

Jack stepped into the roomy capsule just as the operator pressed the button for the ride to make one last full circuit. The doors slid shut behind him and as the capsule left the platform, Elsa made an attempt to get off the slow moving ride, only to have Jack stop her by grabbing a hold of her hand. She seemed unbearably angry as she tried to yank her hand back from him.

"I can't believe you!" she exclaimed, practically fuming at him.

He made note of how puffy her eyelids were and the smudged eyeliner around her eyes, which she seemed to have fixed to make herself look slightly more decent. She must have been crying a lot because of him and that thought alone sent a piercing pain through Jack's heart. His grip around her hand tightened, but not so much that it brought her discomfort. "...Could I at least talk with you?" he asked of her, only to receive another fiery glare.

Jack drew out a soft, but long sigh at her silence as she sharply turned her head away. He dropped his gaze, unsure of how to even begin this conversation.

"Then...will you at least listen to what I have to say?"

Elsa said nothing to him in response and he took it as an open invitation to start.

He sighed again as he tightly gripped her small hand. "Regardless of what you may think, the last thing I wanted to do was hurt you."

She scoffed, letting out a humorless laugh afterwards.

"I just thought this was the best way - "

"Best way for what, Jack?" she suddenly shot out. "For playing with my heart and then just getting up and leaving whenever you feel like it? You don't get to do that," Elsa spat out, defiantly stepping up to him. "You don't get to just walk out of my life and think that I'd be okay with it."

"You won't find happiness being by my side, Elsa," Jack stated morosely. "You deserve better - "

"Don't give me that crap, Frost," she said with another dry laugh. For one, she was swearing, and two, she called him by his last name - she was definitely beyond pissed. "You think dumping me with some other guy is going to make me find happiness?"

"Elsa - "

Aggressively, she stepped towards him and stuck her index finger into his chest. "After all we've been through together, you think any other guy is qualified to be with me?"

"That's not what I meant - " Jack stopped, for he felt a pair of lips capture his. His eyes widened at the act of dominance Elsa portrayed as she shut him up with a searing kiss. Just as he began leaning into it, it ended and the blond pulled away.

Her blue eyes narrowed in on him as she whispered, "you're so stupid, Jack."

He wrinkled his brow, not sure if he was supposed to be insulted by her words, or lucky that she called him that after such a heated, possessive kiss. "El - "

"I only want you," she said in crystal clear voice, pressing him up against one of the walls of the capsule gently. "That's why - don't you dare think about walking out of my life for such a stupid reason." She spoke with such conviction in her voice that it rendered Jack speechless for a while.

"...It's not because of that, Elsa," he muttered, averting his gaze to one of the large windows of the capsule. Outside, he could see the dazzling city lights below, indicative of just how high up they were.

The young woman stared up at him, waiting for him to say something. They were both aware that they had limited time before the ride would end and the fact that Jack remained silent, told her that he had no intentions of telling her the full story. Her anger flared again. "Fine," she said in a level tone, stepping away from him. "If you want to leave that badly, then just go."

"Elsa - "

She flinched, drawing back as if his touch hurt her when he tried to do so. "Please," she breathed out. "Just go before you do something that makes me fall deeper in love with you."

He stood there, simply staring at her for a while before simply telling her, "...then _hate_ me."

"Jack, what are you talking about - ?" Elsa raised her head and her eyes shot open in shock when she felt him place a heated kiss on her lips. Awestruck with what was happening, Elsa didn't react for a few seconds, letting him press up harder against her. He backed her up so that she was pinned against the opposing side of the capsule, but did so gently. Elsa squeezed her eyes shut when she felt him carefully coaxing her mouth open with a gentle prodding of his tongue and she struggled against him, wanting to break free from the kiss.

She let out a muffled whine as she raised a hand up to hit him away, only for him to grab it before it made contact with his shoulder. Elsa felt him pin her wrist above her head and a strong arm encircle her fragile waist, allowing for Jack to deepen the kiss. She heard a low groan from the base of his throat as his tongue played with hers and she shivered as he possessively held her tightly against him, unwilling to let her escape. Tears leaked from behind her closed eyes, sliding down her cheeks as she found herself unable to resist his lovingly passionate kiss.

As the young man pulled away, he noticed her tear stained cheeks and he watched as she tried to compose herself, only to fail miserably.

"Y - You're horrible," she said to him in a voice riddled with heartache. Her voice, breaking from the tears she failed to hold back.

Jack exhaled deeply as he rested his forearm on the wall just beside her head, trapping her once more. "How?" he asked breathily, although he already knew the answer and was leaning in for another kiss.

"How could you say something like that and then kiss me so - " Elsa immediately closed her eyes when she felt his lips atop hers once more. She hummed pleasureably into the kiss, practically leaning up and wrapped her arms around her neck to better devour him. The kiss was slightly more aggressive than before, with both of them fueling their bodies with the lust they kept bottled up from each other.

Elsa let out a feminine moan into his mouth when she felt his hand trail down from her waist to the hem of her skirt. She tightened her grip on him considerably, nervous, when she felt his cold fingertips lightly dance upon the exposed bit of her milky thigh. " _Ahh_ ," she breathed out hotly against his lips as she felt him slide his hand up so that the dress rode up her hips. "Jack - _wait._..not here," she murmured shyly. "The ride's going to end soon."

The two of them, blushing heavily in the heat of the moment, failed to realize that a steady rain had started to come down. It made a light pitter-patter sound against the glass of the capsule as they were slowly approaching the platform again. Knowing that they would be caught in uncomfortable situation, Jack got off of Elsa, freeing her, but not for long. He immediately took her hand in his and they met each other's gaze. There was a bit of uncertainty swimming in her sapphire orbs, but Jack immediately quelled it with a butterfly kiss to the cheek.

She sniffled, wiping away her loose tears with the heel of her hand. "How can I possibly hate you when you treat me like this?"

He didn't say anything in response. Not when he gave her his jacket to wear as a temporary rain coat, not when they got off the ride and got chewed out by the annoyed ride operator, and not when he took her by the hand as they ran through the park, being pelted by the cold rain.

Out of breath and being soaked to the bone, the two of them made it to the car and hurriedly shut themselves inside of it. Elsa made the first move, reaching out her hand subtly in an attempt to touch his arm, only for him to avoid it by starting the car.

"We should probably head back home. Might catch a cold, you know," he muttered, carefully backing out the car from parking space.

Elsa quickly withdrew her hand out of embarrassment. "R - Right...we should," she whispered, tightly holding his jacket close to her body. She blushed at the thoughts that were running rampant through her head. Her eyes darted towards him occasionally as he drove and she bit her bottom lip in an attempt to control herself around him. While her head was telling her 'no,' her body was telling her 'yes' and it was the absolute worst feeling ever.

She eyed the way his wet, slightly translucent shirt clung to his torso, the way small bits of rain water would pool against his prominent collarbones, the way his silver hair looked so good when wet, the way he kept running his warm tongue against his cold lips just ever so discreetly. It practically drove Elsa mad and the only thing holding her back was her pride. She didn't want to give into her feral desires because the fact still remained - Jack had spoken of leaving her and he had yet to deny it.

When they approached a traffic jam amidst the heavy rain, Elsa took this as an opportunity to ask him the question she had not yet received an answer to.

"...How can I hate you, Jack?"

He kept his eyes trained on the car in front of them, as if he didn't hear her. After a long period of silence between them, Elsa wondered if she should ask him again, but quickly stopped herself when she heard his low voice. He sounded sullen as he simply told her, "you will."

Her eyes reflected a downcast confusion at his response. "Jack - "

" - and you _have_ to."

She pursed her lips tightly together, trying not to cause a fight between him again. However, she couldn't understand his reasons for saying such things to her. "Then what was the point of making me fall in love with you in the _first place_? Why were you so adamant about being a couple?"

Jack tightly gripped the top of the steering wheel with one hand as he casted a solemn look outside at the dreary weather. "Elsa…" he sighed, his blue eyes completely listless.

The blond clenched her hands over her knees, scratching at the sheer black material of the knee-length stockings she wore. "If you were just going to leave me, if you were going to spew all of this crap, then why did you even bother…?"

Jack didn't say anything, for he could not. He knew it was all his fault. Instead, he let the sound of the windshield wipers and the rain accompany the silence between them. Finally, in a slow, dismal pattern of speech, he muttered, "...I'm sorry, _Ice Queen_."

She drew in a sharp breath -

"...It was a mistake - _all of it_."

And Elsa swore that she could feel a stake being driven into her heart at his words. "O -Oh," she could only squeak out as she remained livid at the entire situation. Her mind went blank and all the emotions that had once swirled around like a maelstrom inside of her, vanished. Her lividity soon turned into denial and remained as so until she felt all the tension from her body suddenly leave her. It was an odd feeling and she suddenly didn't know what to do with herself.

Jack glanced at her when he felt her hand gently touch his arm. He kept his foot on the brake pedal as traffic was at a completely standstill in front of them.

"I don't believe you," she said curtly, earning her a look of skeptical confusion from the young man.

"El - ?" His eyes immediately widened as he felt her press a deep kiss to his cold lips. Quite frankly, he didn't know what to think as she pulled away slowly.

Was it a look of allure in her eyes? Desire? No -

Jack felt an ache in his chest when he saw the most striking pain embedded in those beautiful sapphire eyes. He stared at her, wide-eyed, as she managed to break into a smile, trying her best to hide her heartache.

"I get it. You're _lying_ , aren't you?"

He wrinkled his brow in shock and in pain at the sound of her mirthless laughter coupled by a broken smile. "Elsa...I'm not - "

"You're lying, _right_ , Jack?" She let out a laugh, masking her true emotions. "You were always a _liar_ , Jack. _Always_."

Her hands trembled as they grasped at his arm desperately. At this, he somberly lowered his eyes, unable to tell her otherwise. He flattened his lips into a firm line and looked away, not having the heart to face her directly as he told her, "...You're right." He gently touched her hand. "I'm nothing, but a _liar._ "

* * *

Anna tightly clasped her phone as she looked out the window. The large storm was indeed a force to be reckoned with as it rained down heavily upon Arendelle and many of the other outlying cities. It got so bad that many of the public buses had to be shut down and with Kristoff having no way back home, he was allowed to stay the night at the estate.

The younger Winters sibling looked away from the gloomy scene outside when she heard someone entering the lounge. "Thiana," she said, watching the older woman approach her. She dropped her head with a sigh. "Elsa just called me. She said the road back into Arendelle is too dangerous with how iced over the rain made it. They aren't letting anyone through until the morning."

"Are they staying somewhere until it passes?" the green haired woman asked her, also turning her gaze over to the rainy scene outside. She could see Anna give a nod of her head through her peripheral vision and she let out a light sigh. "What a mess," she commented. "On his birthday too."

Anna frowned a little as she shot a look over at the entrance hall, where there were a couple of balloons and streamers decorating the banister in celebration for his birthday. "He won't even be able to eat the cake that Wendy made for him. It's his favorite too - f _resh cream with vanilla frosting_."

Thiana let out another sigh, facing the young red-head with a fresh smile. "They'll be fine. I'm sure Jack would appreciate it, even if it's a day late." She gently touched Anna's shoulder and squeezed it in reassurance. "Maybe it worked out for the better. Frankly, I couldn't think of any other person he would like to spend his birthday with, other than Elsa."

"You're right." She let out an amused scoff at her older sister's relationship. "Those two are so hopeless when it comes to romance though. Maybe some time together might help them. ...Maybe help them finally realize that they're _good_ for each other."

* * *

 **(* * *)**

Elsa's grip on her cell phone loosened gradually as her focus went directly to the feeling of Jack's body pressed up against hers and the searing kiss they shared. She whined into his mouth as their tongues slid against each other's hotly. Her entire being trembled from the possessiveness of Jack's actions as he took one of her arms by the elbow and held it tightly against the wall behind her. He slid his cold hand up the length of her arm until his fingers would intertwine with hers.

Her phone fell to the carpeted floors with a dull thump and at this, the couple broke their heated kiss with a loud, collective gasp. They were in a motel, not exactly the best kept one, but certainly not the worst. Due to the road block into Arendelle, they were forced to spend the night there until it was cleared.

Jack's shoulders heaved up and down as he breathed against her skin, kissing her cheek and teasingly brushing past her bruised lips every so often. "Elsa," he whispered huskily into her ear, sending shivers down her spine.

She placed her small hands against his broad chest, touching the extremely cold fabric of his wet shirt. "It's okay, Jack," she murmured against his shoulder. Her eyes fell into a unfocused gaze. "I know you're lying. You always have been lying - about everything...so this time isn't any different." She smiled bitterly. "I love you...so much...and I know you won't leave me. That's why...it's okay," she said, blushing when she felt him nuzzling the side of her face lovingly. Elsa held back tears as she leaned in closer to him. "I want you - _only_ you."

He chuckled lowly, dotting her face with gentle kisses. "A liar, like me?" he muttered, bringing his other hand up to cup her face. Jack pulled away so that he could finally meet eyes with her. He stared directly into her pure, innocent gaze and finally closed his eyes slowly, breaking the intimate connection between them. He smiled wryly and his voice fell to a lower murmur. "Yeah, Ice Queen...I'm just a _liar_ …"

Elsa brought her hands in close to her chest, gasping in surprise as he swept her off her feet. She kept her eyes on him as he carried her in his arms and carefully deposited her so that she was sitting on the edge of the bed. "Jack?" she asked in curiosity when she saw him kneeling before her. The color on her face went from a porcelain pale cream, to a lovely warm pink when he started unzipping the side of her white, knee-length leather boots.

Once he removed both shoes from her feet, he held one of her slim legs in his hands and brushed his lips against her stocking covered knee. He peered up at her with his piercing blue eyes that sent her heart racing. His other hand went to her other leg and gently spread them apart.

The blond woman clutched at the hem of her short dress shyly when she saw him kissing his way up. "Wa - Wait...Jack - " She tried to close her legs, but Jack kept them apart, situating himself in the middle as he pressed his first kiss on her bare, inner thigh. Elsa let out a soft squeak at the foreign sensation and tore her eyes away from his in embarrassment

He noticed the lovely blush upon her face as he continued his ministrations. Jack curled his fingers underneath her stockings on either leg and peeled them off, revealing her silky legs that begged to have his hands run all over them. He could hear her let out soft, nearly inaudible sounds in response, but he kept on going. He wanted to feel all of her and he was past the point of stopping, no matter what.

"J - Jack," she stuttered when he stood up to remove his shirt. The young woman's blush intensified upon setting her eyes on his toned torso. When she saw him lean over to plant his hands on either side of her body, she scooted backwards, out of shyness of the situation. She caught sight of the lustful, leering gaze he gave her as he crawled up to her and she quivered underneath him. "Jack...I - uhm -"

Elsa widened her eyes when she felt him pull her back to her original position on the edge of the bed and start to work on the gold buttons to her trench coat dress. She drew in heavy breaths, trying to ease her conscious. Over and over in her mind, she told herself that Jack had seen her in her underwear already, but she failed to hold back a flustered gasp when he popped up the final button to the dress, despite everything.

She miserably tried to hold the dress together, keeping herself decent in front of him, as Jack quietly and calmly, knelt before her. He saw her blushing a bright red as she kept her face turned away from his. "Elsa," he called out her name softly. There was a firmness to his voice, despite the gentle tone, that caused her to grow still.

After a few more seconds of hesitation, Elsa carefully let go of either side of her dress and let it open up in front of him. She could feel his eyes raking over her body and no sooner did she feel the heat of his breath against her bare neck. Stifling down a low moan, she kept her lips clamped shut as he kissed and nuzzled the sensitive skin. She felt him occasionally dart out his tongue and she could feel the warm texture of it sliding across her flesh.

Elsa squirmed and Jack placed his hands on her thighs, keeping her in place as he leaned up to further bury his face into her neck. She whimpered softly as she gripped his shoulders, feeling him nip at her skin with his teeth. "Jack," she breathed out in a feminine moan. Subconsciously, she tilted her head back, revealing more of her pale neck and offering him better access.

He grunted softly as he fastened himself to one spot on her neck. There was definitely a sweetness to her skin that got him wanting more. So after the first love bite he left on her, he moved down to leave one on her collarbone, then down to the gently slope of her breasts. All the while, Elsa held him close, trembling out of shyness, but holding him tight out of conviction.

Jack heard her whimper again, his name following it afterwards. He peered up at her as he left a fresh, red hickey just above the hem of her lacey white bra. He stopped briefly. "Is this what you really want…?" he asked her.

The blond blinked at him, clearly confused by what he asked. Even without a verbal answer, Jack knew by how she kissed him. He leaned up, closing his eyes as he let her play with his tongue. She moved her lips against his, drowning herself in the pleasure of knowing that she was going to be making love to Jack - the only person that she could not imagine her life without. Her thin fingers combed through his silvery locks as she slowly broke the kiss, gently dragging her teeth against his bottom lip as she did so, eliciting a low groan from him.

With her kiss of consent, Jack leaned forward to clamp his teeth down on the hem of her bra as he slid both his hands around her back.

Elsa squeezed her eyes shut when he undid her bra hooks and immediately held his head tightly to her chest when she felt his hot mouth surround her sensitive nipple. She trembled, this time out of pleasure, as he flicked his tongue over the pert bud and suckled generously on the pink flesh. She moaned out his name, blushing heavily as he moved his mouth over to her other breast.

He made sure not to neglect the other one and he teasingly skirted his fingertips up her taut stomach, running it against the curve of her breast before massaging it gently.

She desperately wanted to close up her legs, feeling an uncomfortable heat growing at her core the longer Jack kept his mouth occupied with her body. However, this was impossible since he was knelt in between them and all she kept doing was bumping her knees against his sides whenever he nibbled at the sensitive buds.

"Jack," she breathed out, catching his attention.

There was always something that excited him whenever he saw how unraveled Elsa would become in his hands. This time was no different. She had such a flushed look on her face, accompanied with a half-lidded, innocently lustful gaze and lips plump from her arousal, it nearly caused Jack to take her right then and there. He had been waiting much too long for this moment, but he certainly didn't want to ruin it by causing her more pain than necessary.

He slipped his fingers underneath the waistband of her hot pants and she immediately let out a yelp of protest before letting her hands fly down to his. "Elsa," he said calmly.

She looked down at him, tightly holding his hands, preventing him from proceeding any further. It felt downright embarrassing to even think about Jack looking at her most intimate parts. This was all new to her and Elsa had no idea of how to deal with what was about to happen next.

Unable to let go of his hands and him sensing this, Jack said to her ever so gently, "trust me? ...Just this once. I want to make you feel good."

Although she still felt a small part of her unwilling to let him take off her pants, she couldn't keep denying him, not when she knew that Jack always wanted to put her first. Elsa very slowly, loosened her hold around his hands and immediately brought them up to her mouth in a vain attempt to hide her face from him. Her heart raced as he slipped both the hot pants and her underwear off in one motion.

As Jack dropped the article of clothing beside his shirt on the floor, he immediately took notice of just how wet she already was and a surge of masculine pride shot through him. He leaned forward to her hot core and experimentally flicked out a tongue, immediately causing the young woman to spasm above him. She yelped and when he gave her wet folds a few more licks, they turned into mewling moans. Her being body felt as if it was being engulfed in a warm fire, with occasional sparks flaring up whenever he brushed past her sensitive clit.

He licked and ate her out generously, but not too hard so that he alarmed her. Jack groaned at how sweet she tasted and he glanced up at her to see how she was faring. He pulled away just slightly to ask her, "why are you covering your mouth?"

Elsa blushed vividly as she met his eyes. "I - I'm making really weird sounds," she admitted to him, only to see that he chuckled in amusement as a response.

"It's fine," he reassured her. "Let me hear them."

Elsa stubbornly kept her hands over her mouth as he buried his face in between her legs once more. "L - Liar," she stammered, muffling her moans and lewd whimpers. Her body suddenly grew rigid, every muscle within her tensing as she felt him run his tongue over her swollen arousal. She sat up, arching her back beautifully for him as he led her to an orgasm.

Jack licked his lips clean as he watched, and heard, her let out a loud moan. The muscles of her stomach seemed to ripple as she rode out her climax and he knew that her womanhood was throbbing from it. Just the mere thought of being inside of her when it happens, nearly sent him over the edge as he picked himself up and began undoing his pants. His hands shook as he was practically dying to relieve the pressure he felt in his lower region. However, before he could go any further than unbuckling his belt, Elsa stopped him.

"Wait, Ja - Jack - _uh_ -" she breathed out sensually, still in the throes of her orgasm. "I - I don't want to get pregnant -"

He could tell she was genuinely worried about that, although her current expression said something completely different. To quell her fears, he dug into the pocket of his jeans and pulled out a small, metallic packet and held it up to her. At the mere sight of the condom packet, Elsa blushed heavily and held her arms over her chest, suddenly feeling vulnerable.

"W - Why do you have one ready to go!?" she exclaimed in an accusatory tone. "Were you just planning for this the _entire day_!?"

He laughed at her naive innocence, only further fueling her embarrassment. "I got it from the hospital. They were handing them out for free," he explained and he saw her relaxing slightly. "I just left it in my car since I wanted to empty out my pockets and I forgot that it was there - until now at least."

Elsa glared at him sourly when he shrugged his shoulders languidly, only for her to quickly avert her eyes when he started unzipping his pants. She kept her head turned away as her heart threatened to burst out of her chest from how hard it was beating. The growing lump in her throat grew bigger when she heard him tear open the condom packet. 'Was this really happening?' she wondered to herself. The anxiety was practically killing her and she found herself scared to even look back at him, only to find that she didn't have to.

She nearly jumped when he wrapped his arms around her small frame. Her cheeks were renewed with a shy blush as she felt him lovingly nuzzle her neck from behind. "Jack - " she whispered his name, her eyelids fluttering open and close from the sweet butterfly kisses he laid on her pale shoulders.

He let out a throaty sigh as he held her. "Sorry, but...I don't think I can hold out much longer."

She shyly turned back to face him and he took it as an invitation for a kiss. Elsa hummed softly against his lips as he gently turned her around and lowered her onto the bed. A soft sound of surprise came from her as her back met the bed sheets. When the two pulled away, Elsa found herself looking directly up into Jack's ice blue eyes. He looked at her with the utmost respect and kindness, that sent a warm feeling pooling inside of her chest.

He panted, almost raggedly, as he hovered over her and she knew that he was almost at his limit. Even so, it seemed as though he was still asking for her consent.

"Are you backing out now, Jack?" she teased him lightheartedly with a fond smile upon her face.

He glanced off to the side as he muttered apprehensively, "I just don't want to hurt you."

"...Why are you concerned over that, Jack?" Elsa brought her arms up to wrap around his neck and the fondness in her smile gradually disappeared, only to be replaced with that of a heartbreak. "You've already hurt me enough."

The young man dropped his gaze, suddenly feeling the sinking feeling of guilt eat him up. However, before he could drown, Elsa touched his cheek gently and brought his attention back down to her. She looked up at him ardently and Jack swore that he nearly lost himself in her eyes. "Elsa…" he breathed out in uncertainty.

"Once a liar, always a liar...right?" She let out a bitter laugh as her eyes shimmered with the onset of tears. "But I guess that just makes me the naive fool that fell in love with someone that probably never loved me."

"I always loved you, Elsa -"

" - Liar." A tear slipped out from her eyes and roll off the side of her face.

"It's true."

She giggled softly as she ran her fingers through his hair. "Liar," she repeated again, "if it's true, then prove it." Elsa leaned up to give his soft lips an innocent peck. She buried her face into the crook of his neck as she gently squeezed him tightly, silently telling him to proceed. "If you're telling the truth...about everything, then prove it to me." Her lips attached themselves tightly to the pulse on his neck as she felt the tip of his throbbing length at her slick entrance. The tears from her eyes fell as he pushed inside of her, but not because of the physical pain she felt when he broke past her virgin barrier.

But because of the pain she felt inside at the confirmation that he was telling the truth this entire time.

Elsa held her breath as he managed to bury himself deep within her. She heard him whispering sweet nothings into her ear in an attempt to get her to relax. While he had made the necessary preparations for her, it still felt uncomfortable as she tried to get used to his size.

"Elsa, relax…" he told her, kissing the shell of her ear softly as he raised a hand up to gently play with her hair. Jack tried to keep her distracted in an attempt to loosen her up. At this time, he felt her muscles tightly clench down on him and he knew that she would be in pain if he tried to move now. He kissed her, gently prodding at her tense tongue with his. When she did not respond as well as before, he pulled away very slightly and huskily muttered, "focus on your mouth."

"Mm - " she whimpered against him as he kissed her again. The heat on her cheeks flared when she felt him move against her. Elsa grew daring once more and she let her tongue battle it out with his, trying to follow what he said in order to make their lovemaking a little less painful.

Jack slid himself out of her hot core just a bit as he pulled away from the kiss to better control himself. His cheeks were lit up with a dark red blush of his own as he tried not to give into his animalistic, lustful desires to simply just start taking her. He breathed heavily against her lips as he took her into another possessive kiss, deeply plundering her mouth with his tongue, causing her to mewl and moan at the intensity of his passion. Experimentally, he rocked his hips against her, unable to keep still for much longer. When he didn't feel or hear her reacting painfully to the action, he did it again and again, until he set a steady rhythm between them.

Elsa broke the kiss to catch her breath. She let out breathy moans, to which she promptly clapped her hands over her mouth in order to muffle the lewd sounds escaping her throat. When she tightly closed her eyes as he thrusted in and out of her, she heard him speak.

"Elsa -"

She opened her eyes halfway as he pulled her hands away from her mouth. Promptly, the blond shyly shook her vigorously. "N - No! I can't! I'm - _ah!_ \- making really - _mmph!_ \- embarrassing noises!"

"I told you I want to hear them," he breathed out, hooking his arms underneath her legs. Jack looked at her with such a smoldering gaze that it caused her walls to clench around him tightly, eliciting a strangled groan from his throat. He panted, closing his eyes as he let his hips move on their own.

The lithe blond woman stared up at him with a sated lust glazing over her eyes. She had always thought he was handsome, ever since she first laid eyes on him. A strong, but delicate boy that looked like the physical embodiment of snow. She remembered that her ten year old self couldn't believe that such a beautiful boy existed, but he did and she considered herself the luckiest girl to have him as a bodyguard, only to find that he would become her best friend and lover in the end.

And now she had him in her arms - all to herself. He was hers and she had no intention of letting him go.

"Jack," she breathed out against his neck as she suckled on his pale skin, leaving numerous bite marks as his hips rocked against her more urgently. Elsa knew he was getting close to the edge with how much more vocal he was becoming. She shivered as he growled and grunted into her ear with each thrust. At the rough, quick pace he was going at, Elsa dug her blunt nails into his back, whining as she approached her second orgasm.

The white haired man groaned lowly at the dull pain he felt as she dragged her nails across his back. He said nothing to her, for he knew that it was her way of releasing the pain she felt because of him. Instead, he let out a low grunt and breathed out, "I'm close…"

Elsa nodded against his shoulder as she continued to moan in lustful pleasure, occasionally uttering his name, and fueling Jack's sex drive in the process. She began losing herself as she succumbed to the tidal waves of passion from their lovemaking. As she neared her climax, she chanted his name as if it was a mantra.

"Elsa," he groaned out her name as he slid into her, desperate to find his release. He shared a kiss with her just as she felt her entire body tense and spasm as she was thrown into another shuddering orgasm. Jack panted against her lips as he felt her inner walls clench tightly around his throbbing erection. He felt sparks of ecstasy shooting through his body as he thrusted into her, grunting sharply as he did so.

As she felt her the spasming motions of her inner walls gradually weaken, she heard Jack let out a breathy _'fuck'_ into her neck as he finally reached his end. He fell down so that he was propped up above her by his elbows. Jack thrusted shallowly into her slickly wet core a few more times before he stopped, finally able to catch his breath. They both made a little sound as he pulled out of her, the loss of contact suddenly feeling foreign to them.

She cradled his face in between her delicate hands and she muttered tiredly, "don't leave."

He felt her brush away his sweat soaked bangs from his face and he answered her softly, "...I won't."

"Liar," she murmured, her eyelids fluttering open and closed sleepily as he littered her small face with kisses.

Jack smiled sadly down at her as he carefully tucked a piece of loose blond hair behind her ear. "That's right, Ice Queen. I'm a liar…" He saw her drifting off to sleep from the pure exhaustion she felt after the day she had. Somberly, he lowered his eyes and he stared at her sleeping expression for the longest time before he placed one last kiss on her warm lips.

As he pulled away, he saw a single, wet drop fall and land on the white bed sheets beside her head. Jack wrinkled his brow in confusion, caught so off-guard by it that he didn't realize that it had come from his own eyes. He shook his head, wiping away at his damp eyes with the back of his hand before he let out a mirthless chuckle.

Who was he kidding? He wasn't hurting Elsa with his lies.

He was hurting himself and he knew it.

 **(* * *)**

* * *

" - So, Jackson." The debonair, middle-aged man eyed the youth before him. "Tell me - why should I take you in as my bodyguard? I already have a security team of my own to protect myself and my loved ones."

"Your other security guards can't hold a flame against me," he boldly stated, his sharp blue eye piercing as it practically bore into Peter Black's own gold-brown colored orbs.

"Hm," Peter said with a slight raise of his eyebrow. He chuckled amusedly as he tapped the end of his ball-point pen against the desk planner he had spread out in front of him. The date on the page reflected the current one - November 1st. "That's quite the claim, Overland." He continuously stared at the black eyepatch over the young man's right eye and finally he made a gesture to his own face, asking him, "what became of that?"

"Accident."

"Hm," he grunted, slightly unimpressed with the mundane and vague answer. "Unfortunately, Jackson, I cannot take in anymore guards. My fiance already has a personal guard of her own and I do not have the need for one - "

Jack steeled his voice with conviction as he declared, "I can help you make the Pitchiners the most powerful family in Burgess once again."

Peter raised a perfectly groomed eyebrow at the black haired young man and he asked skeptically, "and why should I believe you when you were recommended to me by a member of the Winters' household?"

Jack smirked darkly as he answered him, "because the person that recommended you to me does not bear the 'Winters' title any longer. They only wish to see to the ruin of the Winters and destroy the Lunanoffs, just like you. We all have the same goals in mind."

"Is that so? Well, since you sound so confident in your plans, what is it?"

"The hard part will have to be completed by you."

"I see and your role will be?"

The young bodyguard answered with an air of cold arrogance and languidity that it came off as malicious. "Unfortunately, Master Pitchiner, my role is the easiest." His lips slightly tugged to one side as he declared callously, "I will _kill_ Elsa Winters."

 _"...I have to hurt you."_

* * *

 **END PART I OF MARIONETTE**


	31. Three Years Later

**Marionette**

 **Chapter 31 - Three Years Later**

 _Warnings: None_

* * *

 _"Why did it have to be this way?"_

This was _no_ dream.

Her vision was unfocused, but she willed herself to steady her hand. Her pearly white teeth ground against each other as she felt pure adrenaline fill her veins, innervating her muscles and electrifying her senses. She tried to keep her eyes on the man in front of her and away from the barrel of the gun that seemed to stare directly into her soul.

 _"I want a happy ending…"_

Elsa tightly held the gun in both of her hands, her index finger hovering over the trigger. Her heart sped up when she heard him pull back the hammer of the black revolver in his hand, getting ready to shoot if necessary. Her eyes briefly flew over to his weapon, aimed directly at her head, then her eyes went back to focus in on him. His silver-white hair, his striking blue eyes, his pale, pink lips pressed in a firm line of resolve as he coldly stared back at her…

He was unpredictable, impassive, and apathetic - beaten and _bloodied_ by the cruel world that he had fought so hard to protect her from.

It wasn't him - the playful, kind, loving man that she fell in love with.

This wasn't _her_ Jack -

 _"...for both of us."_

\- so she felt no remorse for when she pulled the trigger.

This was their harsh reality and for Elsa, she knew that there would be no happy ending for them as soon as she heard the loud gunshot.

* * *

Pure, platinum blond hair lay strewn across a white silk pillow, only dimly illuminated by the moonlight pouring in from the large arched window. The sound of light breathing filled the entire room, which was shortly followed by a heavy sigh. The peaceful ambience of the room remained even as the young woman lying in bed sat herself up, displaying a look of worried distress on her delicate face.

She turned her head to look at the digital clock upon her nightstand and saw that it was nearly midnight. A hand drifted up to her forehead and she held it there tiredly. It had only been two hours since she fell asleep and as a consequence, she hardly felt rested.

Restless nights were a common thing for Elsa nowadays, but she learned to deal with them a long time ago, so tonight was no different. As if acting upon a routine, she got out of bed, put on a pair of light blue slippers and headed for her study. She elected to put her time awake to good use, even if it meant choosing the cold seat of her study chair over the warm recesses of her bed in the middle of the night. She had a lot of work to get done after all.

Ever since she received the full rights and control over her late father's corporation a year ago, she made sure to pour every ounce of her attention into her new job as CEO. That was however, easier said than done.

Elsa touched the cold metal doorknob of her study and just as she was about to twist it, she heard footsteps approach her. She turned her head over to the source of the sound and relaxed upon seeing Thiana, her bodyguard.

"Miss Winters," the older woman said with a kind smile. Not a single wrinkle was upon her pale complexion, even as her brow furrowed slightly in worry as she took a step forward towards Elsa. "It's nearly midnight and you're heading into your study now? Shouldn't you be sleeping for tomorrow?"

She let out a dry laugh as she tousled her long, loosely waved blond hair. "I could ask the same for you."

Thiana giggled airily. "I was just on my way to bed. " Her expression suddenly turned serious. "You know your sister was strict about your birthday party."

Elsa sighed exasperatedly. "I know, I know. She wants me to get up bright and early just so she could get me out of the house while she's decorating. At least we'll be at a spa while all that happens."

The two women shared a glance before joining each other in quiet laughter, excited that they would be spending a few hours with each other in complete relaxation. Especially for Elsa, as it would help take her mind off a few things.

"I would still advise that you get some sleep though, Miss Winters," Thiana gently suggested.

A wry chuckle. "Maybe a bit later."

Her pink eyes looked on to the young CEO worriedly. Sleeplessness was a common thing for Elsa nowadays and Thiana knew that it wasn't just because she was stressed from the corporation. There was something else - or rather, someone. "You're not still losing sleep over...him, are you?"

Elsa looked away, slowly bringing her hands up to her arms so that she could protectively capture herself in a hug. In a slow murmur, she told her, "...I'd be lying if I said I wasn't." She met Thiana's gaze and continued. "I keep having dreams about him - about the night he left. He acted so normal, as if nothing was wrong. As if he was doing nothing wrong..."

The climbing frustration was evident in Elsa's voice.

"We tried our best to find him," Thiana said as she attempted to gently console the distressed young woman.

The crestfallen expression upon Elsa's face quickly turned vehement as she sharply shook her head dismissively. "I don't care anymore," she stated. Her blue eyes narrowed to an ice cold glare that was focused in on the floor beneath her feet. The mere thought of her former bodyguard irritated her to the point where it made her physically tremble. "I've decided to move on. There's no point in trying to find someone that clearly doesn't want to be found."

Thiana's worry didn't retreat. "...Are you truly happy like this, Miss Winters? The fact that you're still having dreams about him -"

" - _Of course_ I'm happy!" Elsa's words cut through her bodyguard's like a knife. She said her words so passionately enraged that it caught Thiana off-guard. "My relationship with Anna's never been better, my corporation's stocks have increased dramatically, my employees are happy, my life hasn't been threatened for the past three years, I have a boyfriend that loves me -" Her fists shook as she spoke, but the intensity wore off as quickly as it came. " - I'm _happy,_ " she repeated, only in a vain attempt to convince herself.

"Miss Winters -"

" - Please don't dote over me so much, Thiana," Elsa responded with a mirthless laugh. "I understand your concern, but I am...truly happy right now. It feels like my life has a sense of normalcy and peace ever since Jack left it and I'm enjoying every bit of it."

It was horrible lie and Thiana was well aware of it, as was Elsa, but it was also the horrible truth and that was something they had to accept. Jack was gone - disappeared completely into wind without a trace or clue as to where he went. However, ever since he disappeared, so did the danger. Things went so silent that it even unnerved Manny Lunanoff.

Was it a blessing or an ominous sign of worse things to come? Thiana didn't know and neither did Elsa, but they took the silence for what it was worth. Things were peaceful and Elsa found herself reluctant to leave the comforts of safety just to be thrown into the turbulence of chaos once more.

"But you really aren't enjoying it," Thiana stated out loud what Elsa had kept in. She took her silence as an unwilling agreement and continued. "You have a normal life finally, but in exchange, you lost the excitement."

Elsa smiled dryly. "You seem so sure of what you're saying, Thiana."

"Because I know I'm not wrong," she answered back in full confidence. Her pink eyes narrowed in on the young CEO. "...Why else would you be sending Aster out to search for Jack?"

The blond's sapphire blue eyes went wide as she spun to face her bodyguard.

Taking notice of Elsa's shocked reaction, Thiana knew that she hit the nail right on the head. She averted her eyes off to the side slightly and answered, "I knew about it for a while, Miss Winters. I caught him leaving your corporation a few months ago." Her shoulders went up in a shrug when she locked eyes with the young woman. "...The disguise could use some work. Wearing sunglasses can't hide someone that wears such a _hideous_ bucket hat."

Elsa couldn't help, but let out a stifled laugh at the jab Thiana made towards Aster's fashion choices. She let out a sharp sigh afterwards, clearing herself of the brief chuckle. Her parted lips trembled for a while, in preparation for what she was about to say.

Thiana awaited her response rather anxiously, wanting to hear the young woman's explanation for the newest revelation.

She started off slow. "...Do you know what was the last thing Jack said to me the night he disappeared?" It was a rhetorical question and she knew that Thiana wouldn't respond, but Elsa paused anyways. "Nothing," she said with a disappointed breath. " _Absolutely_ nothing. We were standing in this very hallway too and I was about to say goodnight just like we usually do, but then, he stopped me."

She didn't say anything as to what happened next, but Thiana caught on when the young woman brought her lithe hand up so that her fingertips could graze her pink lips.

"I think the reason why I keep having dreams about him is that I'm still so astonished by this entire thing."

"Of him leaving?"

Elsa shook her head. "I'm astonished at myself...that I ever fell in love with such a selfish, _ill-mannered_ man. I mean, who can provide such a loving kiss like that and just... _leave_? How can someone treat their significant other so caringly one minute and the next, just leave them as if they were _nothing_?" Her tone turned slightly spiteful and dark. "He ran away, but then that makes him a coward, doesn't it? Because only cowards run away from their problems without any regard to their responsibilities or promises."

Thiana wasn't sure if she should respond to that or even how to respond. Luckily for her, it was another rhetorical question that Elsa took the liberty of answering.

"...But if that were the case...then that would make me the lover of a coward and I don't want to call myself such a thing."

Taken aback by the declaration, the green haired woman widened her eyes slightly in response. Elsa took notice of this and delivered a wry chuckle.

"Surprised? I am too," she answered with a slow shake of her head. "I'm still in love with him despite everything," she confessed with an exhausted sigh. "Despite running away...despite trying to kill me, despite continuously lying to my face, he's still special to me and I still love him as much as the very last day I saw him."

Puzzled by the answer, Thiana furrowed her brow and asked, "I know Jack as well, but aren't you being too lenient with him at this point, Miss Winters? Even if he is that special to you..." She was prodding at an answer that she knew was obvious to the two of them, but she hoped that Elsa would provide further reasoning behind it.

And that she did.

"Jack made my life exciting. He made me experience so many emotions - some good, some bad," Elsa explained somberly, followed by a humorless laugh. "Perhaps more of the bad than good. It was like an emotional rollercoaster dating him, but despite that - despite _all_ of that…" She felt the corners of her lips being tugged upwards at the memories she held of Jack, of how he would do whatever he could to make sure that she was loved for her perfections and imperfections. Of those memories, one stood out to her more prominently than the rest.

The day of her parent's funeral, a day that was supposed to be filled with sorrow and grief was the day that Elsa found _love_. The day was cold, but she found warmth and comfort in the gentle embrace of his arms. He let her cry out all of the frustration, anguish, and anger that had built up inside of her. He let her be vulnerable and didn't fault her for that. Instead, he protected her and it was from that moment on, that Elsa knew that she couldn't fall in love with anyone else other than him.

" - I enjoyed being with him," she said, keeping it short and sweet.

Those words, combined with a look of pure content in Elsa's eyes, were assuring enough to Thiana, even with the brief and vague answer. Her only goal was to see that the young woman was truthful to herself and her feelings regarding Jack. "And that is the _real_ truth, isn't it?" she asked with a little smile playing upon her face.

Elsa tiredly held her head as a wry smile crossed her face. "Sadly, yes," she admitted with a defeated sigh. "Even after all these years...he's still on my mind, haunting my dreams...and I still want him back." She shook her head as if in disbelief over her own revelation. " _Selfish bastard._ "

* * *

Elsa never was one for birthday parties. So when she found out that her sister was planning to throw her another one similar to the size of her nineteenth birthday, she was against the idea. Of course, Anna was very persuasive and it really didn't take much effort on her part to get Elsa to begrudgingly reconsider her decision and allow her to throw the party in the end. What was the worst that could happen?

That question was answered the minute Elsa arrived back home from her spa outing with Thiana.

"Happy birthday, Elsa!"

The rather large crowd consisting of mostly Anna's friends, close employees at Winters Financials, and some family friends stood at the base of the large staircase in the entrance hall. They all had poppable streamers in their hands, presumably ready to fire it off as soon as Elsa walked into the mansion. However, all they heard was silence followed shortly after by a clamor of confusion.

"Don't tell me these are a defective bunch _again_!?" Anna cried out as she desperately yanked at the white string with no avail. This elicited a loud snort from Kristoff, who stood beside her failing terribly at stifling his laughter.

"Babe, you're going to hurt yourself."

Anna shot her boyfriend a sharp glare for laughing at her mistake that coincidentally mirrored the last time she threw Elsa a birthday party three years ago. "Don't laugh!" she barked at him, clearly agitated with the disappointing start to her sister's party. Her expression changed to that of sheepish delight when she met Elsa's eyes and saw that her sister was giggling into her hand at what she had witnessed. Anna built up a nervous laugh as she tried to move past her embarrassing mistake.

"Happy birthday!" she cheered again with the other party guests following suit.

* * *

"I can't believe you threw me another party."

Anna rolled her eyes as she joined her sister on the outdoor bench, careful not to brush up against one of the rose bushes growing beside the seat. She flashed her a smirk. "I know you like them - secretly."

Elsa answered with a lighthearted scoff.

There was a long moment of silence between the two Winters sisters, but it was hardly uncomfortable for either of them. For a while, they were content with simply sitting there and watching the party guests idly chatting amongst themselves and mingling. The joyous, upbeat atmosphere was something that Elsa found herself enjoying greatly and for a moment, she was perfectly content sitting there, basking in the entirety of it.

However, Anna decided that it was time for conversation and she started it off by a cliched statement about the weather. She clasped her hands together in her lap and leaned back to look at the clear night skies above them. "It's been a really warm winter, hasn't it?"

Elsa hummed in agreement.

"No snow at all, even though it's already January. There wasn't much snow in the past few years either," she said with a nostalgic sigh.

"Winter's not over yet," the blond said, offering up a glimmer of hope. "We still have another month to go."

"That's true." Anna sighed in optimistic happiness. She played with her twin, braided pigtails idly and commented without much thought, "it's kinda weird how as soon as Jack left...the snow left as well. It's like he really is _the_ Jack Frost." A dry laugh at her humorless joke and not a second later, did Anna notice the befallen expression upon her sister's face at the mention of her previous bodyguard. She didn't apologize for bringing it up however, as it was very much intended. "Elsa…" she addressed her with a cautious touch of her shoulder.

The younger sibling widened her azure colored eyes at the stunning show of affection her sister displayed by bringing her hand up to overlap hers.

Elsa gave her a longing, sideways glance. "I'm fine," she said, answering Anna's silent concern. A fleeting smile wouldn't normally be enough, but for now the strawberry blond accepted it.

"You know I threw this party for you to get your mind off things." Anna smiled brightly as she squeezed her sister's shoulder. "...I thought you could use it. Even though there are other aspects of your life that you're preoccupied with, Jack played a big part as well. I can't imagine that you can just get over what happened."

For a while, Elsa couldn't provide her sister with a decent response. She fought to clear up the various thoughts clouding her mind and did her best to translate them into verbal words, so as not to keep Anna waiting. "I'm...not over what happened between us," she said with a tension present in her thin voice. "Jack's been in my life for so long and for him to suddenly disappear from it is.. _.jarring_ , to say the least."

"I figured as much." Anna let out a sort of relieved sigh as she took her hand off of Elsa's shoulder. "Despite everything you told me the past few years, I could see it on your face. You still miss Jack a lot."

Elsa averted her gaze, suddenly feeling vulnerable that the truth was out there. At this point, she wasn't quite sure if it was relieving or something that she would come to regret. "I do," she admitted for the time being.

Anna brought her hand up to play with one of her braided pigtails. "...What about Dylan?" she asked with slight caution, unsure of how Elsa would react to the mention of her current boyfriend of over a year.

It felt as if their conversation was suddenly dampened with a cold, wet towel. Anna could practically feel the heavy weight of it upon herself as she waited out the seconds of silence that seemed to tick on by much longer than usual. She tried to study her sister's body language, but Elsa was practically frozen stiff. She kept her head down, hands neatly laced together in her lap, slim legs crossed over one another, and her back completely straight.

"What about him…?" she finally asked.

Anna quirked an eyebrow up. "Well...do you still like him? I mean, you just said that you miss Jack and I can only assume that also means that you still have feelings for him. You can't have feelings for your ex-boyfriend and your boyfriend at the same time."

She chuckled wryly. "I guess I missed that part of the lecture in 'Dating 101.'" Elsa saw the bewilderment written all over Anna's face and she wistfully sighed at it. "I must seem like a horrible person right now. No...I am a horrible person, aren't I? Saying 'I love you' to someone while my heart still belongs with someone else. I've become a liar and it was the one thing I absolutely hated Jack for."

The strawberry blond could hear her sister chuckling while muttering under her breath about the irony in the entire thing. "...Love isn't singularly selective, you know," she said in an attempt to comfort Elsa, who shot her a perplexed look. Anna giggled at it and explained in further detail, "you love me too, right? Well, I can only assume -"

" - Anna, please," Elsa responded with an eye roll and lopsided smile.

The two sisters shared a fit of soft giggles before the younger continued. "My point is...you can love Dylan and you can love Jack."

Visibly confused, Elsa asked, "isn't that...I don't know, cheating?"

"It depends on what type of love you carry for either of them. You shouldn't love the two of them in the same way, but you must have agreed to be in a relationship with Dylan for a reason, right?" Anna let her voice drop off somberly as she turned towards reminiscing upon her past relationship. "I'm in love with Kristoff, immensely, but I know that it's in a different way than when I was in love with Hans. Hans was just an infatuation...and maybe I also felt sorry for him to an extent, for the circumstances that he put himself and his family into all because he couldn't control his ambitions." She sighed softly as she wrung her hands together in her lap. "Maybe that's why I didn't feel anything when he died, in all honesty."

"...Then what about Kristoff?" Elsa asked, curious as to how Anna's answer would translate to her own love life.

Without hesitating and without a wasted breath, the younger sister responded with an innocently bright smile, "Kristoff makes me happy. When I think of all the laughs we shared and even the bad moments, I also think about how much I'd miss them if he were to disappear. His existence means a lot to me." A rosy red blush suddenly appeared upon Anna's face as she giggled femininely into her hand. "He told me that first, you know, and I couldn't help, but wholeheartedly agree with it. He's super cheesy, isn't he?"

The platinum blond let out a stifled laugh as she observed her bashful sister. It was clearly apparent that she genuinely loved him. "I think you're both cheesy."

Anna scoffed playfully at the response. She dismissed it and returned the conversation back to Elsa. "The point is...who makes you happy?"

The young woman's gaze fell slightly at the question, unsure of how to answer it immediately.

Seeing her sister's distress at trying to provide a proper response, Anna told her calmly, "maybe do some soul-searching if you don't know. Though...if it were up to me, I'd stick with Dylan."

Elsa looked up at her sister as she stood up from the bench. "Dylan…?" she muttered.

Anna pushed her lips together tightly before releasing them with a soft exhale. "...Listen...Elsa. The obvious choice _is_ Jack. You two were happy together and he treated you in a way that would probably make every girl on this entire planet jealous. _But_ he's not here and it looks like he has no intention of coming back anytime soon, if he ever will."

The truth stung like salt on an open wound. Elsa's hands trembled and she tightly squeezed her fists closed in an attempt to cease the involuntary reaction.

"He's smart, handsome, a CEO like you, and he treats you well. I'm pretty sure any woman would kill to have your boyfriend, but if Dylan doesn't make you happy...there's no harm in being single as well." Anna paused for a bit and then curiously asked, "he's perfect, but why aren't you happy with him?"

It was question that even Elsa herself didn't know the answer to. That was why she remained completely silent for the longest time, that is, until Anna surprisingly answered the question for her.

"...It's because he doesn't understand you like Jack did... _right_?"

Elsa could physically feel the facade that she had kept up over the past few years slowly crumbling away. Both Thiana and Anna knew that she wasn't truly happy ever since Jack left. No matter how much she immersed herself in her CEO duties trying to get her mind off of him, no matter how much time she spent with her boyfriend, Elsa couldn't stop herself from missing her past bodyguard and lover.

He was still very much present in her life and she had to come to terms with it.

"Is Dylan coming tonight, by the way?" Anna asked, snapping Elsa out of her thoughts.

"Uhm - no," she answered stiffly. "He said that he had business to take care of with his company. He did call me earlier when I was at the spa to wish me a happy birthday though."

Anna made a slight face of perturbed disappointment at Elsa's response and the monotone way she said it. "You're not angry at him?"

"Should I be?" Elsa asked in genuine puzzlement.

The younger sister made an annoyed sound. " _Kinda,_ yeah. If you really wanted someone here and if they couldn't make it, no matter what the circumstances are, you should at least feel disappointed."

All Elsa did was slump in her seat as she processed what Anna had said to her. She was right - she should be feeling some sort of emotion towards Dylan unable to attend her birthday party, but she felt nothing. She was indifferent about it and quite frankly, she felt indifferent about him. It was always something that she was aware of, but she assumed that it was because this was her second relationship, perhaps the magic of being in love for the first time had disappeared along with her first love.

After hearing what Anna had told her, however, Elsa began to realize that maybe she just didn't like Dylan as much as she had fooled herself into thinking.

* * *

It was early in the morning. So early that even the sun hadn't peek out from behind the surrounding mountains yet. Elsa could feel the clean, cool air chill her cheeks as she briskly walked from the Downtown bus stop where she had gotten off at and to the corner convenience store just down the block. She was there to meet a certain Guardian and did her best to dress as inconspicuously as possible to not attract any unwanted attention.

As she neared the store, sure enough, she saw the person that she was to meet up with.

"Aster," she called out to the lanky, Australian man that was standing beside the entrance of the convenience store just about ready to open up his new pack of cigarettes. He appeared haggard, but Elsa assumed that he just looked like that because it was so early in the morning and because he hadn't shaved away his 5 o'clock shadow.

"Winters," he greeted her, his voice gravelly as he pulled out a cigarette from the pack. He took the time to light it up and Elsa waited rather anxiously for him to speak.

He took his sweet time, however. After putting away his silver lighter and taking in a few puffs, he exhaled a smooth white plume of smoke and sighed in relief. He finally made a motion with his hand towards her, asking her to follow him.

"Let's talk somewhere else," he muttered.

Elsa blinked up at him, caught off-guard by what he was suggesting. It was different from their previous encounters and that could only mean one thing. "...Is there new information on Jack?"

He didn't say anything until they crossed the street into the small park on the next block. Once they reached one of the park benches, the silence was broken with the single word that Elsa was desperate to hear all this time.

"Yeah." Aster held the cigarette in between his thin lips and took out a phone he had hidden inside of his brown thermal jacket. Elsa recognized it to be the one that she had provided him with, specifically used to communicate with her only, to avoid detection from Manny or anyone else that would get in the way of her search for Jack.

He scrolled through the photos and pulled one up to show the young woman.

Her eyes went wide. "Is this…?"

" - It's _him_ ," he confirmed. Aster watched her as she scrolled through the various photos in the phone. He averted his eyes back to the grassy area before him and he pulled the cigarette out of his mouth. With another smokey exhale, he went into further detail. "Can't recognize him very well, can you? Well, neither could I," Aster said, ending it with a dry chuckle.

Elsa scrolled through the photos, each one containing different photos of a young man with wild raven black hair that was grown out just enough for half of the bangs to fall over the right side of his face, barely concealing a black eyepatch he wore. Although most of the photos were blurry and unfocused, in some of the clearer shots, Elsa could make out the young man's strong facial features better. Her throat began to dry up out of anxiety as the facial features became more familiar and she could see past the eyepatch and different hairstyle.

There was no doubt about it. The man in the photos was Jack.

"Why is he like this?" she asked Aster weakly, suddenly overwhelmed with emotion after seeing her past lover's face.

The gray haired man put out the cigarette on the sole of his brown sneakers and leaned back against the bench. "You saw the photos, right? You saw who he was with?"

Elsa faltered for a bit, suddenly feeling embarrassed that she couldn't focus on anyone else other than Jack. She scrolled through the photos again and widened her sapphire blue eyes in shock at the blurry photo of Jack helping no one other than Peter Pitchiner Black out of the backseat of his luxury sedan.

Although she didn't say anything out loud, Aster read her expression and took it as a sign for him to continue. "Don't ask me why he's with the head of the Pitchiner household because I have no clue - yet." He met Elsa's confused gaze and he immediately let out a wry laugh. "What?"

"You don't have to help me anymore. I only asked for your help locating Jack. Now that I know he's working for the Pitchiners - "

" - You don't need me anymore? _Bullshit_ ," he answered back.

Elsa, having gotten used to Aster's calloused way of speech over the years, remained unchanging, simply waiting for his response.

"Listen, Winters. You should know that I'm sticking my neck out doing all this for you. Even meeting you like this is risky. I had to stop coming to your corporation because Manny was beginning to catch on when he caught me through my tattoo the last time. To him, Jack's dead. Even if Jack were to come back, he knows too much about the Guardians, about the Lunanoffs, and about this entire situation to be kept alive. Not to mention, he's a hot, loaded gun right now. We don't know where his allegiance lies and what he'd do. You know this."

The platinum blond bit her bottom lip, but nodded. The news initially came as a shock to her when Aster told her this fact after Jack's disappearance. Manny Lunanoff did not want Jack alive and seeing the photos from Aster, Elsa understood why. "I - I know."

He raised an eyebrow at her. "You also know that even if you get Jack to come back again, things aren't going to be the same."

"I know," she answered again, much to Aster's initial surprise. "...I don't know what might happen in the future or even if there is a future between us anymore, but I can't just leave things the way they are now."

Elsa found herself thinking back to the last kiss she shared with Jack the night he disappeared. The way he looked at her before kissing her with such care and sweet passion, and the way he didn't say anything after he pulled away. It was an action so bizarre that it was unforgettable and demanded an explanation on his part.

"I guess you could say that the same goes for me too. Frostbite's decided to make an enemy out of all of us and I need to know just what kind of bastard is willing to put himself through all that. I can't let him die without giving an explanation for doing all the things he's done to us." Aster provided her with a short, dry laugh as he ran his hand over the rough hairs on his chin and jaw. "That's why I'm not letting you call me off this just yet, Winters. Unfortunately for you."

He held out his hand towards her, to which Elsa responded with an amusedly warm smile of her own. "Unfortunately," she responded as she handed him back the phone.

With the sun beginning to spread its warm rays across Arendelle, Aster shoved his calloused hands into the pockets of his dark green thermal. He hoisted himself off of the bench with an abrupt grunt and asked the young woman, "you can get back safely, right? Hell of a chance you took for using public transportation."

"Of course," Elsa said with a slight roll of her eyes and a cocky grin.

"Right," he chuckled. "You've changed a lot over the years too. Sure going to take Frostbite off-guard if you two meet again."

A lighthearted giggle escaped her. "I wouldn't know about that, but...Thiana's doing all she can to make sure I can better protect myself."

Aster smiled fondly at the mention of the eccentric, green haired woman. Elsa took notice of this, but said nothing of it and simply mirrored his smile. It was obvious that the two were romantically interested in each other, based upon what she learned from Thiana over the years and Aster's expression whenever she was mentioned. Unfortunately the circumstances of their situation kept them apart.

He merely nodded in response, not inquiring much about her even though it was apparent that he wanted to. Without another word, the gray haired man raised his hand up as a silent farewell to the young woman.

However, before Elsa could turn to part ways with him, she stopped upon hearing Aster call out to her.

"Winters -"

" - Yes?" she asked, turning around to face him once more.

"Thiana...is she doing okay?"

Elsa blinked at him several times before letting her lips turn upwards into a playful grin. "Why don't you ask her yourself?"

Aster faltered in his speech, lips parted slightly in shock by what the young woman was suggesting, before closing them in a relaxed, serene smile. "You know she'd kick my ass for avoiding her the past three years."

The platinum blond shook her head in response. "The only thing she'd kick your ass for is for keeping that bucket hat of yours. She _really_ doesn't like it."


	32. A Liar's Game

**A/N**

I'm so sorry for seemingly abandoning this story ;;; Truthfully, I just didn't feel the joy I felt from writing as I did before. Like I've said countless times before, I have entire stories planned out in my head, but it's just hard to put it into writing at times. Not only that, but I was still torn between finishing revisions or continuing with the update. As much as I absolutely hate most of the earlier chapters of this fic, if I strive for perfection, I probably will never see the end to this story.

There are glaringly horrible flaws in the past chapters and plot line, and I just want to rewrite this entire thing, but I know that some of you genuinely enjoy this story for how it is and I know how horrible it is to get attached to a fic and see that the author abandoned it. I do not wish to do that to you guys.

I will continue updating as planned and for those that would like to read the revised version of Marionette, I will upload it onto AO3 in the upcoming months. For now, let the show go on and let's see where this journey will take us. :)

P.S. Sorry, but updates might be a bit slow for the next few months because...well for those that follow me on Tumblr know that I also cosplay and the glorious (but dreaded) con season is coming up which means back to back conventions and all the sewing/crafting haha. So, I will try my best to update once a month, but I'd like to deliver quality chapters rather than frequent updates. Just a little heads up.

-ZERO-

 **Marionette**

 **Chapter 32 - A Liar's Game**

 _Warnings: Sexual content_

* * *

The tension hanging in the air was probably thick enough to suffocate on, or at least Duke Weselton thought so. He kept his eagle-like eyes focused in on the document he had handed to his potential future business partner, Peter Black. He would be a valuable asset to Weselton, considering that Peter used to be the head of the powerful Pitchiner family. With that in mind, the elderly man held his breath as the seconds ticked on, wondering if Peter needed to be persuaded further on their joint business venture.

Just as he opened his mouth to further convince the younger man, Peter glanced up at him with his sharp hazel eyes and grinned. "Deal," he said coolly with sharp punctuality as he signed off on the document.

Weselton's eyes went wide for a moment before relaxing with a sigh. "Excellent!" He exclaimed as he leaned across the round table to capture the younger man's hand in a tight grip. The two shared a mutual handshake and a giddy chuckle escaped the hook-nosed man. "I do believe that both our companies will prosper from this partnership!"

"Of course," Peter responded with a smooth drawl.

Weselton could hardly contain his excitement and joy from securing such an important partnership with a Pitchiner and one of the fastest growing real estate moguls in Burgess. "How about dinner soon? My treat," he offered up enthusiastically.

"That sounds fantastic," Peter replied with a fabricated smile that remained unseen by Weselton, who was too blinded by the success of the deal. Although highly suspicious upon first encounters, the Pitchiner quickly realized that the elderly man was naive once you were someone he trusted.

When the two men left the small meeting room within Weselton's large corporate building, a light melody played from the inside of Peter Black's suit jacket. He pulled out his phone and let his hazel eyes scan the text that was displayed upon the sleek screen.

Peter could tell that he had piqued Weselton's interests, so he quickly addressed him. "It's the missus."

"Ah, I see. Your fiancee of three years?"

A fond look crossed Peter's gold-tinted, hazel eyes. "Yes."

Weselton chortled softly into his loose fist. "Is there a wedding planned in the near future?"

"Of course."

Peter's brief responses beckoned Weselton's curiosity greatly. It was to everyone's knowledge that no one had ever seen Peter Black's fiancee. It was getting to the point that the public eye was starting to question whether or not he really had a woman in his life.

For this reason, Weselton cleared his throat and asked, "I'm sure everyone would be delighted to see the lucky woman. What is her name?"

Without missing a beat, Peter let a smooth smile grace his features and responded. "Unfortunately, I cannot disclose that. My fiancee...not only is she shy, but she wishes to remain invisible until our wedding date. I hope you understand, Duke. With my influence and power in Burgess, I'm constantly in the limelight. She is someone who isn't used to such a thing."

The old man's eyes went wide for a brief second. "Oh! Of course, of course. I apologize if I came off as too forward. I'm simply curious. Forgive my manners," he humbly said, earning a chuckle from Peter.

"No need to apologize. I understand that you, along with everyone else, are curious about her, but in due time, I assure you."

As the two men arrived at the lobby of Weselton's lofty company, they were approached by a tall, young man with a head of messy, spiked black hair, and dressed in a neatly pressed suit. Upon closer inspection, Weselton noticed an eyepatch over the young man's right eye. Despite being taken aback by the man's appearance, Weselton followed closely beside his new business partner.

"Sir," the young man addressed Peter in the politest way possible. He bowed his head slightly as he handed him his thick winter coat. "Are you through with your affairs here?"

With an inquiring raise of his eyebrows, Peter turned to look down at Weselton, who quickly answered the question.

"Ah, yes! Of course! All forms have been signed, I see no reason to keep you here any longer, Peter." In a kind gesture, Weselton extended his hand towards the suave man.

"Pleasure's all mine," Peter responded with a smile and took the older man's hand in a loose grip. His narrow face cocked to the side slightly when he saw Weselton's eyes drift over to the young man standing to his side. "...Is something wrong?" he asked, a smile ever-present on his face as he eyed the nosey old man.

Weselton took his eyes off the mysterious young man and gave a sheepish laugh. "I'm sorry...I just...believe that I've seen him somewhere before. He has a familiar face that I can't quite put my finger on." He saw the uneasy look upon the young man's face and he quickly added in, "my mistake, young man. I mean, I assume he's your servant, Peter? I don't think I would have ever had the chance to be acquainted with him. It must be a coincidence."

A smooth chuckle from Peter. "It must be."

The black haired bodyguard continued to avoid Weselton's prying eyes. He feigned composure, but on the inside he was growing nervous. "I'll have the car out in front for you, Mister Black," he muttered quickly before taking his leave and escaping the glare of suspicion being thrown his way.

* * *

"Are you sure you weren't found out?"

It took the young man a moment to respond. He kept his head forward, focused on the road ahead as the car he drove rolled along the smoothly paved streets. "I'm sure," he answered firmly.

Peter raised a thin eyebrow in question as he stared at his bodyguard. "Weselton seemed awfully suspicious of you."

"He is, but he isn't intelligent enough to figure it out," he responded in razor sharp bluntness. "We've only met a few times due to Elsa's affiliation with his company. There's no way he would remember someone like me, especially after I changed my appearance like this."

"Hm," Peter grunted as he relaxed into his seat. "I just hope you understand what's at stake if your identity gets out...Jack." He smirked when he saw the young man's hands tighten slightly against the leather steering wheel. "You are aware -?"

" - You don't need to tell me twice."

"Oh? A bit riled up, are we?" The older man laughed into his open hand in mocking amusement. His languid expression quickly turned into that of a bitter one. The tone of his voice dropped dangerously. "You're lucky I even gave you the chance to be my personal bodyguard, Jack. Once I found out that you previously worked for Elsa Winters, it was hard to trust you...even now."

Jack could feel Peter's eyes practically boring holes through him. The uneasy tension growing between them would have caused other people to stiffen in fear of suspicion, but not Jack. He was used to this by now. Lying and fabricating his emotions became second nature to him.

"You don't have to trust me, Sir," Jack responded calmly. "I'm not here to protect you after all."

Peter smirked, parting his thin lips slightly to reveal the tips of his teeth. "So you do understand your position? It's just been...what? Three years? And here I thought you forgot after all this time."

Jack remained silent.

"Well," he chuckled as he leaned back into his seat once more, "I know you can't act without his permission. I just hope you two know what you're doing...and as I've said, don't think for a second that my trust lies with either of you. With the power I have, I can easily end this little operation of yours and take matters into my own hands if things don't go the way I want it."

Jack gave a simple response to such a bold threat. "...Of course."

The black sedan quietly rolled into the driveway of the Black's estate. As soon as the car stopped in front of the mansion, the two men caught sight of a beautiful woman with a head full of long, flowing blond hair. Peter's face softened into an ardent smile as he exited the car to meet her.

"Darling," he said as he embraced the bashful woman and gave her a light kiss on the cheek. "When did you get here? I thought you wouldn't arrive until later in the evening."

She giggled like a little school girl would to her crush, despite her being only a few years shy of her middle-aged fiance. "You know how eager I am to see you every weekend." Her red lips turned into a soft smile, not a wrinkle in sight on her supple skin.

Peter leaned down to kiss her again and he smiled, blindly infatuated with his long-time girlfriend. "I know," he replied, leading her inside the house. "Why don't we talk more over dinner?" He put his arm around the blond woman and turned his head back to speak to his bodyguard. "Oh, Jack. You're relieved of your duties for today since I don't plan on leaving the house for the remainder of the day, but be sure to come to my study tomorrow in the morning. I have something important I need to discuss with you."

Jack bowed slightly, meeting his master's eyes briefly. "Yes, sir."

It was a fleeting glance, but it did not take away from the intensity of it. As he straightened himself out, he locked gazes with her - Guinevere. Her eyes lowered into a bemused, lofty gaze, eyeing him in a way that would be considered inappropriate. Jack feigned obliviousness to it as he always did in past, similar situations and ignored it.

* * *

The inky black water trickled down his temple, over the ripples of his smooth muscles, and down the drain of the shower. He made sure to wash out the excess hair dye from his newly dyed black roots. It was a ritual that Jack did every week to make sure that his silvery white roots were hidden at all times.

Peter's words from earlier on in the day echoed in his head. "I just hope you understand what's at stake if your identity gets out…"

Jack tightened his grip over the slick shower knob before turning it off. He lowered his eyes into a glare in contempt over what Peter told him, but he knew that this was the only option left for him…

...and for Elsa.

He dried himself off, leaving his hair in a matted wet mess underneath a damp towel. The colder air of his bedroom hit his bare body as he left the bathroom and went over to his dresser to ready himself for another night's sleep. As he finished pulling up his dark gray pajama bottoms to his waist, he stopped when he caught sight of a slip of paper peeking out from underneath one of his spare shirts.

His fingers hovered over the old, folded piece of paper before taking it out from the depths of his clothes.

It was Idun's letter to him - the letter she gave him the day she died. Jack could see some darker spots on the aged paper, reminders of when he tried to burn the letter, but couldn't. It was the only thing he took with him the day he left the Winters' estate and in a way, it was the only thing that Jack felt could keep him connected to Elsa. Perhaps that was why he couldn't bring himself to destroy it, even though doing so would be for the best.

What was contained in the letter could help clear Jack's name with the Guardians and with Elsa, but at the same time, it would destroy the latter.

"She doesn't deserve it," he thought to himself as he took the letter tightly in his hand. "Better me than her."

He decided to find a better hiding spot for it. Somewhere that the maids wouldn't stumble upon it while cleaning his room. Just as he thought about slipping it in between the mattresses, his eyes went wide upon hearing a sound at his door. Before he could do anything else, the door opened with a slight creak.

His breath stilled upon seeing Guinevere at the door.

Her dark blue eyes flickered in excitement as she quietly closed the door behind her. "Good evening, Jack," she spoke in a soft voice. Her tone was polite, but Jack knew her intentions were anything but.

The unadulterated lust in her wandering eyes was proof enough.

Jack decided not to say anything to her as he tried to hide the letter behind his back casually. He took an involuntary step back when he heard her locking the door behind her.

"What do you have there?" she asked sweetly, eyeing his arm.

The black haired man kept his eyes trained on her, his left hand twitching slightly as he readied himself to go for his revolver resting on his nightstand if necessary. Guinevere took notice of his unnerved behavior and giggled into her delicate hand, finding his fear amusing.

"What's wrong, Jack? Do I scare you -?"

" - How did you get in?" Jack asked in an aggressive tone, cutting her off. He slanted his eyes dangerously at the smirking woman.

"Do you really think that I'm not capable of getting into any room in this mansion? Of course as Peter's loving fiancee I'd have a master key to all the bedrooms." She cupped her own cheek, smiling broadly at the realization that briefly crossed Jack's face. As she took a step forward, he spoke quickly.

"Whatever it is you're thinking - stop."

She raised an eyebrow at him, the smirk still present on her face. "Oh? And why's that?"

"Do you really want to risk everything right now?" When Jack's threat seemed to fall on deaf ears to the advancing woman, he resorted to going for his gun. As soon as he pointed it at her, her eyes went wide abruptly before relaxing once more into an alluring gaze.

The blond laughed. "Just try and shoot me, Jack. You said it yourself…'do you really want to risk everything right now?'" Her expression remained smug, despite the potential danger of being shot in the head. However, she knew that there was no danger.

Unwillingly, Jack lowered his arm. "...What do you want?" he asked her slowly, even though he knew the answer as soon as he felt her hand on top of his. He felt her skillful hands quickly releasing the revolver, letting the spare bullets fall out from their chambers and onto the hardwood floors. With the gun rendered harmless, she took it from him and languidly dropped it beside them.

He flinched involuntarily and turned his head away as soon as he heard the gun drop.

Guinevere looked up at him, her body pressed flush against him. "Do you really not know, Jack?" She kissed him lightly on the neck, eliciting a shiver from the young man. "How long did you think you could ignore me for? I'm sure it was obvious as to what I want from you."

He could feel her tongue gliding over his skin and no sooner did he felt her teeth roughly sink into him. The pain triggered him to take action. In one swift, fluid motion, he grabbed her by the neck and swung her around, forcing her down onto the floor.

The woman cried out sharply in pain, but her smug demeanor remained as she looked up at him. "Oh, Jack, if you wanted to play rough, then all you had to do was ask -"

" - Cut the crap," he whispered from behind clenched teeth. He could feel a bit of blood spill from her bite on his shoulder, but he ignored it. "You're risking our entire operation by doing this. What do you think will happen if Peter catches us together? He'll cut off his engagement with you and I'll never gain his trust. Do you really want to throw away all those years we worked for?"

"Hm," she sneered. "He never trusted you and he never will. Quite frankly, I don't know if I can trust you either. You've lied to everyone...even to your sweet little Elsa."

Jack stilled above her and his eyes subconsciously went to the folded letter that now lay on the ground just a few feet away from them.

Guinevere's eyes travelled over to the discarded letter and she laughed. "I wonder what he'll think once he hears that you're still hopelessly in love with the naive little bitch -" She choked, letting out a gagging sound as Jack's hand tightened around her fragile neck. Still, the smirk upon her face didn't fade. Her voice was strained, but she managed to speak to him clearly. "Peter wouldn't like it if he found out that his own bodyguard laid their hands on his darling fiancee."

The fear of bruising her and leaving marks caused Jack to pull back, loosening his hold on her.

The blond woman chuckled as she felt Jack get off of her. She propped herself up on her elbow and she looked up at him to speak. "I still see her at the corporation, you know. Every single day. In fact, I saw her today. Wouldn't you like to know how she's doing?"

Jack didn't answer her.

"...She has a boyfriend now, you know. And they seem to like each other greatly."

He kept his back turned towards her, his fists clenched tightly by his sides.

Guinevere got up and smoothly leaned forward to catch a glimpse of his face. Her lips curled into a smirk when she saw his eyes narrowed in anger.

"Elsa forgot all about you," she whispered, gently touching his shoulder. "Three years went by after all. Do you really expect her to hold onto a man that betrayed her? A man that left her without any explanation? A man that _hurt_ her?"

His expression softened into that of dreadful realization.

Guinevere saw this and took the chance to make her move. She ran her hand over his broad chest sensually, eliciting a shiver from him when she ran her hand over his burn scar. "All these years," she murmured as she slowly turned his head towards her, "and she never _once_ mentioned you. Instead, she finds herself another man. A man from a wealthy background and prestige...why...compared to him, _you're nothing_."

Jack felt her kiss him deeply and he did nothing to push her away.

She smiled against his soft lips when she heard him let out a low groan in response. The older woman pulled away teasingly and slowly hooked her arms around his neck. Just as she leaned in for another kiss, she stopped when she heard him speak.

"No…" he whispered, his voice barely audible had the room not been silent.

"Hm?" Guinevere inquired with an amused smirk and the slightest tilt of her head. "Are you denying me? Or perhaps what Elsa's doing?" A smooth chuckle left her. "Whatever it is you're trying to do, Jack. It's pointless. Just learn to submit like a good little boy -"

"That's just it. It's not."

Her blue eyes darkened. "...What?"

Jack brought his hand up to pull Guinevere's arms away from him. He looked her right in the eyes and told her, "none of it is pointless."

Her anger flared, like a hungry predator denied its free meal at the last minute. As she moved away from him with a sharp click of her tongue, she let out a wry laugh. "You still cling to her even if she has a boyfriend? She could be sleeping with him this very moment for all you know!" The smug look plastered on her face finally retreated when she saw him give her one of his own.

"So what?" he answered, the distant, but cocky attitude of his sending a cold chill down her spine.

Guinevere attempted to regain the upper hand with a humorless laugh. "You still hold onto that letter!" she fired back, faltering over her own words when she realized that it wasn't affecting him. "Clearly…! _Clearly_ you still love her -!" Her voice trailed off from the uncertainty and from Jack's piercing gaze.

There was a moment of silence between the two of them.

Jack finally looked away from the older woman before slowly walking up to the discarded letter. He stared down at it and it wasn't long before he spoke once more. "Go ahead and tell him that I still love Elsa Winters. If that's what you're so intent on using against me." He turned slightly to look back at her and he cocked a lopsided grin at her. "...But I wonder how you'll tell him that when you aren't too sure of the answer yourself?"

She couldn't read him at all and that alone brought a upon a frigid fear to paralyze every nerve in her body. Just what were his true thoughts? Wasn't he angry a while ago? Was it all fake? Was _this_ fake?

Guinevere clenched her fists and grit her teeth. She then lashed out angrily. "You're bluffing!" A loud scoff escaped her when she saw Jack bend over to pick up the letter. "It's been three years and you're still carrying around that letter!" When he still didn't seem convinced, she made an attempt to snatch the letter from him. "As long as I show him that as proof -!"

Her breath hitched in her throat upon witnessing Jack walk over to the small desk near the window and rummage through his belongings only to pull out a lighter. What happened next caused her eyes to widen.

The flame flickered and licked at the old letter until it caught fire.

The blond stared at the burning letter as Jack held it, then her eyes went to his and much to her surprise, she saw those glacier blue irises devoid of any emotion. His prized possession was burning before his eyes and all he did was watch the burning paper drop from his hand and onto the glass surface of his desk until it was nothing, but ashes.

"...You…" Guinevere breathed out, only to be cut off by him.

" - Let me ask you again," he started slowly. Jack looked down at the dancing ashes on his desk of what was once Idun's letter. "How are you going to tell him? How are you going to tell him that I'm in love with Elsa Winters?"

"I -" She faltered.

"Because I know I've gained his trust," Jack explained, raising his scarred hand up to his chest where his Guardian tattoo once was. "I've paid for it with my own body on the line, but what about you, Guinevere? Aside from seducing Peter Black, you've done _nothing_ noteworthy to prove your loyalty to him."

Her eyes went wide in rage. The color in her once pale face changed to that of a bright pink as her manicured red nails dug painfully into her palms. "I don't need to! He loves me! I know it! He left his wife and children for me! Once this is all over, we're going to start a new life together -!"

" - Is that what you really think?" Jack chuckled into a loose fist. "And you have the guts to call Elsa the _'naive bitch'_."

Her voice shook. "You _brat_ ," she spat out with a bitter laugh, "and here I thought you'd be a good _lay_. Just my luck, you're _just as_ annoying as Winters. Still so young, but acting as if you know everything about the world." Her anger reached its zenith upon seeing a smirk work its way onto Jack's face. "You don't know anything about me, kid!"

"And neither do you."

* * *

Peter watched eagerly from behind his spectacles as his bodyguard scanned over the letter he was holding. He waited for a response before beginning their conversation.

Jack finally looked over at him and asked, " _a party_?"

"Yes, a party!" Peter exclaimed, getting up from his desk with a grandiose swing of his arms. He walked over to the large window in his study and stated, "I'm hosting a resort party in a few weeks." He turned to face Jack. When he saw a look of displeasure on him, Peter rolled his eyes and smiled. "Oh, don't worry. It's just a simple gathering of friends."

"It isn't part of the plan," Jack stated curtly.

"You may all have a plan, but it never hurts to see who our opponents are. This isn't a battle of might, Jack, it's a battle of wits and experience, and the more you know about your opponent, the easier it is to take them down. You can go through with whatever plan it is that you're concocting, but regardless, this gathering will happen and I intend to bring you with me for security."

"Do you really think that the other heads will go for this? The main purpose of this party is to attract Elsa Winters and Manny Lunanoff. They aren't idiots. They aren't going to go for such an obvious bait," he argued. "If they don't show up, then your party will be for nothing and it's just going to be a waste of time."

He didn't take the criticism lightly. Peter narrowed his golden eyes at Jack. "Speaking of _'a waste of time,'_ you speak highly of the plan you're following, but haven't you been wasting even more time? You worked as Elsa's bodyguard since she was ten and you've had more than enough chances to kill her, why is it that you've put it off until now?"

He waited for Jack's response, which never came.

"Just how long will we be waiting until I see some action from your end, Jack? Elsa Winters turned 22 just a couple of weeks ago and I've heard that ever since she's inherited full control of her corporation, Winters Financials has been growing tremendously. If you wait any longer, she might be untouchable -"

" - You can host your party," Jack replied, setting the invitation letter on the desk. He left Peter's concerns unanswered and kept it that way. "But I'm sticking with the initial plan given to me by him. If you intend on harming any of the guests for your own gain at your event, then I won't hesitate to turn against you."

Peter leaned back against the thick window and smirked. "Is that a threat to your own master, Jack?"

"No...it's a promise. If you intend on harming Elsa Winters, specifically, then I'll stop you."

" _Oh_? Are you going back on your word, Jack? You do know that you're contracted to be my bodyguard under the condition that you will fulfill your end of the deal."

"And that I will," Jack responded. "But no one else can kill her besides me. She's _mine_ and I intend to end things with my own hand."


	33. Unlikely Help

**A/N** Woops. Early update, but I realized, hey...I uploaded Marionette on May 13th last year and wow, would you look at that? It's nearly May 13th! So here you go guys, a new chapter to commemorate the anniversary of this fic and for a whole year of loving support from no one other than you. Thank you guys for keeping me going and for all the praise you've showered this humble author with. This fic would be nothing without you.

-ZERO-

 **Marionette**

 **Chapter 33 - Unlikely Help**

 _Warnings: None_

* * *

The sensation of her feet making contact with the cold surface of the training mat innervated Elsa's senses. She steeled her nerves, clenching her fists and setting her eyes in a determined glare towards her opponent.

Thiana smiled at her as the two women circled each other slowly. "Just like how I taught you, Elsa," she said as she held her hands up in front of her, ready to defend herself. "Don't be afraid of hurting me. I want you to give it your all."

A slow breath left the blond and without letting another second pass her by, she lunged forward and locked her hands tightly on Thiana's arms. The two women struggled to throw each other off balance. Although Elsa was a head taller than Thiana, the short woman proved to be a formidable sparring partner despite her short stature.

She slipped her leg in between Thiana's and hooked it around hers in an attempt to knock her off balance, but it was going to take more than a simple move like that to subdue the trained bodyguard.

The green haired woman kept her balance and quickly pushed her elbow up against the joint of Elsa's arm, causing her to experience a moment of weakness which Thiana took advantage of. Swiftly, she spun the young woman around and locked her arm flush up against her own back, rendering her arm helpless.

Elsa swung back her free arm in an attempt to strike Thiana in the head with her elbow, but was stopped by her hand. She let out a strangled grunt, trying to break free from the vicegrip the female bodyguard had on both her arms.

"Don't try to fight it," Thiana instructed her. "You won't win that way, you know that. _Think_ \- don't be impulsive."

She was right. The only thing Thiana continuously drilled into her head was that she had to remain level-headed in an encounter. If she lost her cool or panicked, it would mean she automatically lost.

Elsa took in a deep breath, forcing herself to calm down. She twisted her body, not to release herself, but to throw Thiana off balance. Even if it meant she could go down with her. When it didn't work, Elsa hooked her leg around Thiana's once more and jerked it forward, literally sweeping the other woman off her feet.

They crashed onto the training mat backwards, Elsa using her weight to her advantage and against Thiana.

Her loose, golden bangs stuck to her sweat-covered face, obscuring her field of vision slightly, but Elsa ignored it. She had to act quickly, for Thiana's hold on her arms loosened in that brief moment they crashed onto the ground.

With all her might, Elsa pulled her arms forward, releasing herself from her bodyguard's hold. She then quickly spun herself around and trapped the green haired woman beneath her by mounting her abdomen. Her hand went for the collar of Thiana's bright pink activewear top and the other hand was pulled back into a tight fist, ready to strike.

Thiana, finally recovering from the fall, let a broad grin decorate her small face. "Getting better," she commented.

Elsa relaxed her shoulders and let her raised fist fall to her side. She beamed at her achievement and got off of Thiana.

"Although," the green haired woman added on as Elsa helped her up. "You had a lot of openings to take advantage of, which you _didn't._ "

Her smile fell slightly.

" - But, you did come out on top in the end, so whatever gets the job done," Thiana conceded with a languid shrug.

Before Elsa could say anything in response, she was cut off by an impressed whistle. The two women turned their heads to the source of the sound and saw a familiar face.

"Astrid," the blonde said with in astonishment. It had been a while since she last saw the female bodyguard.

"Hey," Astrid greeted with a confident smile. Walking into the large ballroom beside her was Henry Haddock, now owner of Rider Industries ever since his father's passing last month.

Elsa had only met with him a few times in the past few months and he proved to be a docile, quiet man, in stark contrast to Astrid. It was a wonder as to how the two got along, but Elsa figured that since the two were so different, that they got along. The pair were trustworthy acquaintances to her however, which was why the young CEO welcomed their presence, despite wondering why they made an unannounced visit to her house on this particular day.

"I'm guessing Wendy let you two in," Elsa inquired as she approached them. She picked up a small hand towel that was draped over one of the chairs in the ballroom and wiped off the excess sweat on her face and neck.

Astrid simply responded with her trademark lopsided grin. "She told me you'd be busy training with Thiana and I thought it'd be interesting to see." She chuckled behind a smug smile. "Glad to see that I wasn't wrong. Honestly thought that _"training"_ meant you working out on an old treadmill."

Elsa let out a coy laugh. "I thought it'd be a good idea to learn how to defend myself. Just in case Thiana isn't around to protect me."

"Impressive." She rolled her head back lazily to look over at Henry, who feigned obliviousness to her glance. "Now if only this one would think in the same way."

"I know how to use a gun," the brunette countered, eliciting an eye roll from his bodyguard.

"Yeah, but take away your little toy and you're just a sitting duck, _Hiccup_."

Just as Henry was about to counter her, Thiana stopped him before the childish bickering continued. "Why don't we continue this discussion in another room? Surely you two came here for a reason other than to simply see Elsa."

"Right," Astrid laughed, "you know, as much as you're _great_ company, Winters - we did come here for an important reason."

The sarcasm dripping from her voice caused Elsa to raise an eyebrow at her. Although the two were on good terms, she wouldn't really call them _'friends'_ just yet. Maybe she was just too sensitive or maybe Astrid was just too insensitive, but she couldn't get used to the other's definition of humor no matter how many times they interacted.

Henry quickly noticed Elsa's annoyance and he stepped in before tensions rose. " _Astrid_ ," he hissed at his bodyguard, causing her to shoot him a sharp glare. He stepped in between the two women and said in an apologetic manner to the platinum blonde, "I know it's an inconvenience to you for us just barging into your house like this, but it really is important, like Astrid said."

"How so?"

He produced an envelope from the inside pocket of his pressed suit. "This. It's invitation I got for a party hosted by _Peter Pitchiner Black_."

* * *

The entire room was dead silent. The four of them were sitting around the coffee table in Elsa's study, staring at the lone invitation set in the middle of it all. Their eyes were trained upon it as if it were something dangerously fragile.

"I...wasn't sure of what to do with it and decided to ask you, if it isn't too much trouble. My father did warn me of the Pitchiners as did Manny Lunanoff, but I figured since we aren't even Burgess citizens, we wouldn't have to deal with it," Henry explained. He let his eyes flicker over to Elsa, who was staring intently at the letter for quite some time now.

She could tell that he was waiting for her response to the entire situation, but she chose to remain silent, unsure of what to say when she herself did not receive an invitation to said party. The transpiration of this event definitely caught her off-guard. Was this invitation an omen of bad things to come?

"I haven't received an invitation yet, so I can't comment on the situation anymore than what you told me. I'm aware that Peter Black used to be the head of the Pitchiner family, so he does present a threat to to both Manny Lunanoff and to myself." Elsa raised her head to look at Henry. "You too. He could be aware of your family's close ties with the Lunanoffs. That could make you a target."

"So...should I not go?" Henry asked worriedly. "From what the invitation says, it looks like he sent it to most of the affluent families in Burgess."

Thiana curiously picked up the letter from the table and scanned through it with a keen eye. "That's not all he did," she commented, "this invitation seems personal to you Mister Haddock. He commented on the success of your corporation and it looks like he wants to invite you to a private dinner."

"Yeah," the brunette breathed out with a wry smile. "Unfortunately it's the reason why I'm so conflicted on attending or not. I know that Peter Black, no doubt, has a grudge against Elsa and Manny because of what happened in the past, but I don't know if he holds such thoughts against me. It... _should_ be safe if I attend, right?"

Next to him, Astrid let out a loud scoff in disagreement, earning her a glare from Henry. She shrugged in response and sourly told him, "you're going to fail your family's corporation if you keep thinking that naively, Hiccup."

"Quit calling me that," he grumbled, turning away from her. "And it isn't naive. I'm just weighing all possible options -"

" - it's _naive_ ," Astrid cut in, failing to address the concern that she continued to call him by his unfortunate nickname. She crossed her arms across her chest stubbornly and rolled her eyes. "Whatever. If you really think that it's a good idea to go, then you better make sure that I'm by your side at all times. I'm not letting the last heir of Rider Industries die on my watch."

"You...don't think he'll actually kill me, would he?" Henry gulped, his green eyes growing wide.

Elsa muttered downtrodden, "I wouldn't put it past him. The former head of the Pitchiner family murdered the entire Lunanoff family on one night. I was told that the mansion was a bloodbath. Someone from a family that could execute a whole group of innocent people like that with no remorse isn't to be taken lightly. The only advice I can give you, Henry, is to be on your guard if you decide to attend the party."

A visible shiver went down the Haddock's spine. "...Now I'm having second thoughts. I thought it would be a good financial play if I go to a party where most of Burgess' affluent families will be attending. Father always wanted Rider Industries to branch out, outside of Berk. You know, it'd be good to make some relationships there."

"I understand," Elsa responded, "you have your own agenda that I'm not fully familiar with, so do what you feel is best in the end. I'd just advise you to stick with Astrid, like she suggested earlier."

Henry glanced over at the young woman just in time to catch her flashing him a smug grin. He sighed heavily and nodded his head slowly. "Alright. I'll probably attend regardless of the possible danger." Shyly, he eyed his blond bodyguard. "Sorry, Astrid."

She rolled her eyes as she gave his shoulder a rough shove, causing him to fall over on the sofa. "Why the hell are you apologizing? Taking care of you is my job, in case you didn't know."

"Right…" he chuckled uneasily as he sat himself back up. " _Sorry_ -"

" - There you go again!" she shouted, shoving him back down.

Elsa let out a stifled laugh at the two's ridiculous horseplay. It was amazing at how fast they would go from speaking like dignified adults to bickering children. The light hearted moment didn't last long, however. It was soon broken by Thiana's serious question.

"What would _you_ do, Elsa?" she asked the young woman.

Both Henry and Astrid stopped their tirade and focused their attention back on the situation at hand, brought in by their curiosity.

"...I haven't received an invitation, Thiana."

" _Yet._ I have no doubt in my mind that you will have one waiting on your desk tomorrow when you go into the office. There's no way he would not invite you when you're one of his main targets." Thiana pushed the question back onto her. "So...what would you do, Elsa?"

Elsa wrinkled her brow at her bodyguard, suspicious as to why she was pressing the question so adamantly onto her. "I wouldn't go," she simply answered. "You said it yourself just now. I'm going to be one of his main targets. There's no telling what underhanded tactics he'll use to harm me physically or harm me through my company. I'm not risking it."

"Is that it? You wouldn't go to the party even if it was to meet someone other than Mister Black?"

There was no denying the interrogative tone in Thiana's voice. It threw Elsa off slightly, but she narrowed her eyes at the green haired woman and answered back with a clear, "yes."

"...Then that's that."

She could still feel the look suspicion boring holes through her, but Elsa ignored it. It must be mere coincidence. There was no reason for Thiana to be suspicious of her decision of whether or not to attend Peter Black's party. Unless…

...she too, was aware that Jack was hiding as the Pitchiner's bodyguard.

 _'Impossible...Aster told this information only to me. There's no way that she would know about Jack,'_ Elsa thought as she sat there stiffly. Her eyes shifted over to Thiana's warily and then back down to her lap.

She knew that Thiana cared deeply for Jack just as much as she did, but Elsa wanted to keep it a secret from her because of situations like this. As much as they both loved Jack for their own reasons, Thiana would be against any method that would endanger her life, point being, this party.

But Elsa didn't care. If it meant her getting somewhat closer to Jack, then it was a risk she was willing to take.

Because the only thing Elsa cared about at this point was for a chance to meet Jack again. To get to see him, to talk to him, and most importantly, to ask him why he was doing all this. Even if it meant risking her life, Elsa had to know why the love of her life suddenly became her _enemy._

* * *

"Good morning, Miss Winters."

"Good morning, Alice."

The young intern smiled brightly at her boss as she produced a small package from underneath her desk. She handed it to Elsa. "This was in the mailroom from last Friday. The security team didn't get around to checking it until this morning, so it's a bit late."

As Elsa took the opened package in her hands, she looked at the return address and immediately her heart raced in anxiety. Written in bold, confident letters, she could read the name _'Peter Black'._

"Is it from a secret admirer?" the secretary teased with a soft giggle.

Hiding her unsettled emotions, Elsa flashed a smile at the young woman. "Maybe," she said while laughing it off. "I don't know how I'll break it to them that I'm already in a happy relationship though. Thanks, Alice."

The smile faded as soon as Elsa stepped inside the privacy of her main office. She stared down hard at the package, her hands shaking slightly as they touched the luxurious paper the package was wrapped in. It was definitely hand delivered and the fact that he bothered to send her a package rather than just a letter like he did with Henry was something that stuck with her.

She was clearly a very important guest to him.

Elsa set the package upon her desk and peeled away at the wrappings carefully, not because she was afraid of ruining it, but because she was still cautious despite her security team already marking the package as safe. She swallowed harshly and revealed the contents of the package.

There was a letter, which Elsa knew it to be the invitation to his party, and lying next to the sealed envelope was a single white petal from a flower. She thought it to be odd that those were the only items in the medium-sized package and there was no way that someone from her security team would have stolen something. Furrowing her brow, she picked up the smooth white petal carefully and inspected it.

However, before she could figure out what it meant or why the Pitchiner bothered to send her something that could easily be thrown away by mistake, Elsa was interrupted by a knock on the door. She diverted her attention to it, setting the white flower petal aside.

The door swung open before she could answer it.

"Dylan," she addressed the young man standing in the doorway in astonishment.

"Hey, babe," he greeted her with a handsome grin.

Elsa walked up to meet him and let him kiss her on the cheek before asking him, "what are you doing here? I wasn't expecting you until lunch time."

Dylan awkwardly held the back of his neck. "Well, after I felt like the world's worst boyfriend for not being able to attend his girlfriend's birthday party, I figured that I should take you out somewhere special for lunch today. How does a beachside brunch sound?"

She widened her eyes slightly at his proposition, then relaxed it in disappointment. "That sounds great...but...I'm a bit held up by work -"

" - It won't take long. I promise to have you back by 1," he insisted. "Besides…" The chestnut blonde took hold of his girlfriend's slender hand in a gentle grasp. He looked her directly in the eyes with the utmost sincerity and said, "I know something other than work is bothering you. You can tell me on the way."

"Dylan…" she whispered his name gratefully. Even though they had only been dating for a year, Elsa found it easy to confide in him even her most private affairs, which included the ever constant threat on her life as a Winters. Which was why she ended up agreeing to the spontaneous outing. "Alright," she breathed out in a soft sigh. A smile decorated her heart-shaped face as she returned Dylan's grip. "Then I guess I'm yours for the next few hours."

* * *

"I see," Dylan muttered as he picked up a cherry tomato from his plate to chew on. He cast his eyes downwards in deep thought.

Elsa sat across from him and let out an inaudible sigh in tune with the salty sea breeze gently blowing past them. She looked down at her own finished plate of brunch for a moment before raising her head once more. "What should I do? I haven't told this to Thiana or anyone else for that matter."

The blond haired man chuckled softly against his hand. "Well that certainly makes me feel special." The lighthearted air around him quickly changed as he dropped the joke and focused on the pressing matters at hand. "Is there a reason you aren't consulting Thiana? Usually you'd go to her first." He laced his hands together in front of him and rested his chin against it as he quietly stared at Elsa.

"Since she used to have ties with the head of the Lunanoffs, her opinion would be biased," Elsa explained. "I already know her answer if I were to tell her I'm planning to attend a party hosted by our common enemy."

"And your reason for attending the party is because…?"

Elsa fell silent. She clenched her fists against her knees, struggling to find the right answer that would draw the least amount of suspicion from her boyfriend. Even though she told him everything, she didn't tell him everything. He still didn't know of Jack's existence and the role he played in her life before disappearing from it. That's why she couldn't tell him that her main reason for attending Peter Black's party was for a chance to meet Jack.

"...Perhaps it would be a good chance to mend some bridges," she lied. "I know he must hold a grudge against me for what my grandfather did to the Pitchiners a long time ago, but holding ill-feelings won't be good for either of us."

"Hm, you could try...but one meeting isn't going to reverse a conflict that's been around for years."

"That's why it's best to start now, isn't it?"

Dylan brought up a cup of dark roast coffee to his lips. He smiled against the hot surface of the mug before speaking. "That's true. So, you're planning to be a diplomat in addition to a CEO? I have such an ambitious girlfriend."

She creased her brow at him. "Don't laugh. It's not a joke."

"I know, I know," he said after taking a sip. "Sorry," he apologized with a beaming smile. "I like that you're trying to change things because you're right, this conflict isn't good for anyone. Even for the families of a lower tier, like myself, it's hard to conduct business with each other once it gets out that we also do business with a rival family. With Peter Black gaining more power, my own corporation's experiencing losses now because we aren't able to seal deals with some other companies that favor him over you."

"Oh…" Elsa slumped her shoulders in response. "Sorry. They're only doing that because they know you're dating me, right?"

Dylan waved his hand languidly in the air. "Don't worry about it. I'll find a way around the losses. It isn't too big, but it isn't a profit either, which is what bothers me."

She scoffed playfully in response. "And you call me ambitious, _Mister Perfectionist._ "

He broke into a soft laugh. "I guess we're both the same then." Dylan took another sip of his coffee and raised his eyes to look at the platinum blond sitting across from him. "So? What do you plan on doing in the end?"

Elsa blinked quizzically. "Of course I'm going to attend the party regardless of the dangers it presents. I thought I made it obvious."

He stirred at his drink. "Yeah...but you didn't sound too convinced earlier. It's good to be ambitious, Elsa, but it's not good to be obsessed. You should just give up on what you can't get. Struggling to the point where it drives you mad won't benefit you at all."

For a brief second, Elsa thought that he was commenting on her drive to find Jack, but she knew that he was really commenting on her plan to come to a truce with Peter Black. She nodded slowly in response. "I - I know. Thanks Dylan. I'll keep that in mind."

* * *

Restless, but tired - that was exactly what Elsa was feeling as she worked late into the night going over a renewed deal Winters Financial was to make with one of its sister companies. She blinked away the sleep from her eyes as she scanned over the documents before her carefully, making sure to make note of any small detail that could be important. The only sound present in her study was the soft ticking of an antique clock hanging on the wall near the door. The peaceful silence was soon to be broken by Thiana's abrupt entrance into her study.

It startled Elsa greatly, but she had little time to recover when she saw the angry glare the short woman presented her as she stormed over to her desk.

"When were you going to tell me?" she snapped at the blonde.

Elsa shot her a confused look. "What are you talking about -?" She stopped when she saw Thiana place an opened invitation on her desk before her. Immediately, the young woman's gaze hardened as she snatched the letter away from the bodyguard. "You went into my room?" she questioned with a sharp tongue.

"It was on your vanity when I walked in. If you really want to keep things from me, then I suggest you lock your door, Miss Winters."

It had been a while since Elsa heard Thiana refer to her in a formal manner. After spending the past three years together, they grew to be incredibly close. With her reverting back to her formal way of speech, it could only mean that she was _inexplicably_ angry with her.

"You know I don't want to do that, Thiana. Especially when I trust you -"

" - and _I_ trusted you!" Thiana pointed harshly at the invitation. "You can't be serious about attending that party!"

Elsa frowned at her bodyguard and slid the letter closer to herself. "Just because I kept the invitation doesn't mean that I'll be attending."

The green haired woman shot her an odd look of disbelief. "Do you hear yourself right now, Miss Winters?"

"I do."

"Then please stop lying to me. I know you want to attend that party and for a specific reason." Thiana narrowed her eyes at the young woman and asked, "it's for _Jack_ , isn't it?"

This caused Elsa to grow still. She stopped breathing momentarily. "...What are you talking about?" she questioned Thiana, keeping her voice barely above a whisper.

"I'm aware that Jack's working as Peter Black's bodyguard."

Her blue eyes widened as she snapped her head around to face Thiana. "How -?"

"You should know that Jack means a lot to me personally," she answered. "You get your information from Aster and I get my information by my own means. I'm not one to like being left in the dark, you know."

Feeling guilty for withholding information from Thiana, Elsa somberly lowered her gaze back down to the letter in her hands. "...It wasn't my intention to lie to you, Thiana. I just knew that you would be against me going to a party hosted by a Pitchiner and as for the information on Jack...I was going to tell you eventually, but I -" She trailed off, biting back her tongue as it was getting hard for her to speak. The subject on Jack still caused a rupture of emotions within her.

After all, it was hard to let go of someone who she had been with for most of her life.

Thiana looked on to the young woman with pity, knowing that she was still struggling with her loss of Jack. Even after all these years, she still harbored love for him and to the short, green haired woman, it was so beautifully tragic.

"Elsa…" she gently said as she went around the desk to get closer to the blonde. "I understand that you want to see Jack...I do too, but...this might not be the time to do so."

A look of hurt and confusion crossed Elsa's glossy blue eyes as she looked up at Thiana. Her loosely waved blond hair curtained around her face as she dropped her head. "This might be my only chance," she answered, her voice breaking from the stress of an incoming decision she had to make.

"I know," Thiana responded softly. Her pink eyes fell to the floor dismally. "But it's too dangerous. Peter Black never bothered to interact with you until now. It's suspicious and there's no doubt that he has something up his sleeve."

Elsa drew in a sharp breath, knowing that what she was saying was right.

"And...I don't want to say it, but Jack could…" Thiana paused, unsure if she should continue, "not be the _'Jack'_ that you or I knew of. Three years is a long time, Elsa, and people change. Even you changed, wouldn't you agree?" She seemed to get through to Elsa just a little bit, but the young woman also seemed to remain firm on her decision to attend the party.

Seeing as how she was at a crossroad, Thiana sighed softly and said, "but if you do wish to attend the party in the end, then I will follow you. I'm against the decision, but it's your call, Elsa."

The female bodyguard left the study quietly, seeing as how she had said all that she needed to say and Elsa was unresponsive due to her meditating upon this heavy matter. She took one last look back at the young woman, her eyes dimming out of pity once more. Thiana could imagine how torn she must be over this decision, especially after what she added in about Jack.

As soon as the door closed with a soft click, Elsa released a pent up exhale. She leaned forward, her brow furrowed in a deep crease as she buried her face in her hands. It was truly exhausting. Just when she tried to find some peace and normalcy in her life, she was pulled right back into the cycle of danger and uncertainty.

"You know if you keep doing that with your eyebrows, you're going to get premature wrinkles."

Elsa slowly raised her head, hearing the all-too familiar, baritone voice that belonged to no one other than Jack. She could practically hear his slow footsteps walking around behind her, pacing languidly as he usually did whenever he spoke with her. She let out a humorless laugh in response. "I can't help it this time. I'm stressed, Jack."

"Over what?" he asked, smiling as he walked past the bookcases in her study.

She didn't look back to face him. "Over this party," she calmly explained, speaking with him so casually as if she had just spoken to him a few hours ago.

He leaned up against the bookcases and raised an eyebrow, curious. "And why's that?"

"Thiana tells me it's dangerous and I agree with her, because that's exactly what I told Henry, but...there's a possibility that I could see you."

"Hm," Jack grunted under his breath as he stopped pacing around behind her. His blue eyes focused on her and he asked, "if you think it's dangerous, then you should stay away."

Elsa's shoulders fell as she dropped her head slightly in solemn agreement. "That's the logical choice, isn't it?" she muttered followed by a wry exhale.

"Logical, yeah," Jack responded with a low chuckle. "But it's not the best choice, is it? At least for you."

She wrung her hands together in her lap. "That's true. I just don't know what to do. Do I put my life as well as Thiana's on the line just for the possibility of getting to see you? You might not even be there for all I know. It could all just be a trap set up by Black."

"And what's your other option?"

"To not attend the party...and risk missing you," Elsa whispered somberly.

"Hm, so it looks like you have two options. Which one do you think is the best?"

She narrowed her eyes in frustration, feeling annoyed with all the questions that she couldn't provide real answers to. "I don't _know_. Maybe... _maybe_ if you just didn't leave me in the first place, then none of this would have happened!" Her anger boiled as it was directed towards Jack. Elsa clenched her teeth and whispered hatefully under her breath. "You _idiot_ …of all the people you run off to, it's to my enemy."

For a moment, things were silent and Elsa began to wonder if Jack had left. She turned her chair very slightly to peek over her shoulder, but stopped when she heard him again.

His warm, rumbling chuckle sent pleasurable shivers down her spine. "Yeah...I'm an idiot," he replied and Elsa could practically envision that dumb, adorable smile that made her knees weak whenever he spoke with her. "But…"

She could hear him walking over to her, but Elsa kept her head down, still frustrated and annoyed with him. In her peripheral vision, she could see his black dress shoes stop just beside her chair, but she still did not look up to see his face.

"...maybe I didn't run, Ice Queen. Maybe I left so that you could chase me."

Her eyes widened when she felt his breath tickle the shell of her ear.

"...maybe...I left because I wanted to be _caught_ by you."

It caught her off-guard, but Elsa felt his lips innocently peck her cheek. As soon as she brought her hand up to her face, she shot up from her seat, and turned around. Her eyes were alert and wide as she stood there, finding her entire study empty. She blinked as she ran her fingertips over her skin where she had been kissed. As she did, she furrowed her brow in curiosity when she felt something waxy against her skin.

She peeled off whatever was stuck to her cheek and to her astonishment, she saw that it was the white flower petal that had come with the party invitation. Elsa held it delicately in the palm of her hand as she stared at it, wondering how it got there and just what had happened to her. Did she hallucinate about Jack?

Whatever it was, Elsa found herself cracking a warm smile, followed by a light giggle. She began to realize the familiarity of the flower petal she held in her hands. A petal from a white camellia - the flower Jack gave her and the flower that she had given him.

"Is that it then? Is this your clue...Jack?" Elsa exhaled slowly through her nose and shook her head in disbelief. "Things can just never be straightforward between us, can it?" she said commented with another laugh. Having come to an answer to her internal struggle, she carefully set the petal down on her desk.

"Thanks," she whispered with an ardent smile spread across her face. "You always seem to be there when I need help."

* * *

 **A/N** You guys thought Jack was back home, right? Haha, nope. But, I can safely say that the Jelsa reunion is well on its way. Maybe in the next chapter?

Fun fact, I was going to make the scene where Elsa hallucinates about Jack initially, into a dream sex scene haha, but I decided against it because as much as I love me some Jelsa smut, I want to portray their relationship as a platonic one before we dive into the bed sheets.

On a sidenote, I finally mustered up the courage to finish up one of my all-time favorite anime series, Psycho-Pass (only reason I put it off was because I know a lot of my favorite characters die;;;) and I'm so broken. Hold me guys. I can't. All my respect to the screenwriter and production team. It's such an intellectually and emotionally stirring crime anime with clashing ideologies between all the characters and jfc, I really can't. I highly recommend everyone watch or at least give it a try even if you aren't a fan of anime. I know most people avoid anime for the over the top reactions, cliched tropes, and such, but I guarantee that Psycho-Pass does none of that and focuses heavily on plot and developing its characters. It really is a series that's one of a kind and I'm just a bit disappointed that it's so underrated because of how well it caters to a mature audience. Needless to say, it actually influences me when I'm writing Marionette, so I highly recommend it to you guys. ; n ;

Sorry for that shameless plug haha. I'm just absolutely livid, guys. It's rare to find a story that can do something like this to you.


	34. Logic

**A/N**

I'm so sorry for the huge hiatus. I never announced it because I thought I would have time to update this fic at least once a month, but as some of you know, I cosplay and the summer convention season is when I'm at my busiest. So I deeply apologize for it. I don't have any other conventions planned in the near future, so I will be putting all of my focus back on Marionette and it's completion. I'm hoping I can get this finished by the end of this year, but we'll see haha. In addition, I will also be updating my other two Jelsa fics as well. :)

I have to admit... I am slightly losing interest in Jelsa, but it's still my OTP. Don't get me wrong, but I'm just getting into other fandoms and things haha. I've recently discovered _Mr Robot_ and good god, if you guys like dark, gritty stuff with plot twists thrown at you left and right, and you want to be left scratching your head at the end of every episode, then watch it. It's amazing. I just finished season 1 on Amazon and I'm moving onto season 2. PLOT TWISTS EVERYWHERE and I _love_ how it just gets you to think after each episode. Definitely not for those that like something straight-forward.

I also got back into _Devil May Cry_ and have spent a decent amount of time playing the fourth game in the series. (I will forever love white haired, blue eyed boys. Nero is such a angry little devil baby) Also marathoned _Haikyuu_ and I have the greatest urge to play volleyball now...

Regardless, I will push on with this story because I don't really think of this as a Jelsa fanfic at this point, but moreso, my own work of fiction. Thank you to those that are still here actively reading this despite all the hiatuses! (I may or may not have plans in the future to make this into an original story to be published -cough- Of course it'll need a lot of revising haha.)

Anyways _,_ _Alan Walker_. Good shit. :) Spent a majority of my time writing this chapter listening to their songs, "Faded" and "Sing Me To Sleep."

Sorry for the really long author's note.

Enjoy the moment.

-ZERO-

 **Marionette**

 **Chapter 34 - Logic**

 _Warnings: None_

* * *

As he pulled on a single black leather glove over his right hand, concealing the burn scar he had, Jack looked over himself in the full-body mirror to make sure he looked presentable. With his tie pulled all the way up to his neck and his crisp dress shirt with only the acceptable creases, he finally reached over to his bed to pick up his tailored blazer.

The entire outfit suffocated him. Unfortunately for him, employment under Peter Black demanded nothing, but the best. Jack needed to look his best even if they weren't leaving the house. It was a tiring change in lifestyle since he was a free-spirit at heart, but it was what needed to be done.

Jack reached for his eyepatch and as he did so, his eyes went to a small white flower he kept in a shallow vase on his nightstand. He paused, taking the time to stare at the delicate camellia that seemed like an odd decoration to anyone other than him.

It was a small beacon of light that he felt like he needed after burning Idun's letter so haphazardly in front of Guinevere. It was a risky move, but luckily for him, it yielded the results he needed. Guinevere was fearful of his unpredictability and he needed to keep it that way. The last thing he needed was someone getting in the way of his plans.

However, it would be a lie to say that burning the letter didn't completely bother him. He had severed the last tie he had with Elsa and the one thing that could possibly redeem him to her. Still, he didn't regret his decision.

His eyebrows lowered slightly in distress, suddenly remembering once more of what Guinevere said to him about Elsa.

The young woman had a boyfriend now, one that was notably a hundred times better than him and above all, treated her like the queen she was. She moved on while he was still stuck in the past like a hopeless fool. Even if he were to come back into her life, Jack wouldn't know where he would fit in.

With a heavy heart, he closed his eyes as he tied the eyepatch securely around his head, relinquishing the foolish thoughts from his head. There was no way he could ever return back to a life full of innocence with Elsa. The damage was done and he had to see his task to the end.

His lone eye floated back over to the white camellia and he inspected it quietly. The symmetrical design was ruined with a small imperfection of a single petal plucked and missing. He tore his gaze away as soon as he heard a soft knock on the door.

"Master says he would like to see you in his study," he heard the faint voice of one of the maids say.

Jack notified her promptly. "I'll be there."

He gave himself one last look in the mirror before heading out of his room. His stride was smooth, but with haste, for he knew that the Pitchiner didn't like waiting. After reaching the end of the long hallway, he stopped in front of two large wooden doors and brought his hand up to give it a knock. Before he could even speak, he heard Peter's low voice on the other side.

"Come in."

The heavy door creaked softly as Jack pushed it open gently. He entered the spacious study and closed the door behind him, all the while keeping his eye on the dimly lit silhouette of Peter Black seated at his desk.

"Did you call for me, Sir?"

A pair of gold-hazel eyes flickered up towards Jack. "Yes," he said in a smooth drawl, "I did, Jack." He got up from his chair and turned towards one of the large, arched windows behind him. There was a long pause between them before the older man continued speaking. "You understand the consequences if you betray me?"

Jack's mind immediately went to Guinevere and their altercation a few days ago. Doubt and suspicion filled him. Did she say something to Peter?

He narrowed his eyes and answered coolly, "yes. I am aware."

"And you know that if I catch even the slightest hint of suspicious behavior from you at my party, you'll be terminated?"

"...Yes," he answered again, trying to keep his voice controlled and calm. Jack brought his hands around and held them behind his back loosely, hiding them from Peter's view. "This isn't the time to be paranoid, Sir."

Peter turned around to face the young man. He gave him a sneer, followed by a taunting chuckle. "It isn't paranoia if there is truth to it, dear Jack."

Jack could tell that he was being tested. Standing up straight, he raised his head and met the man's gaze. "We're striving for the same goal, Sir. You, myself, and my boss - we're all working together to defeat a common enemy. Now's not the time to break this circle of trust, is it?"

He let out another wry chuckle. "I don't think I should trust anyone that tries to intercept my mail." Peter smirked when he saw the slightest bit of an involuntary twitch on Jack's eyebrow. "You thought I didn't notice, Jack? How you took the invitation letter I made out to Elsa Winters? So, what did you do with it?"

Jack tightened his grip on his hand behind him as he quickly came up with a viable explanation. "You think Elsa Winters would actually attend your party of all people? A Pitchiner? A sworn enemy of her family?"

Peter narrowed his eyes.

"She's not an idiot," Jack elaborated. "A sudden invitation from you is suspicious, even if you did sound like you were calling for a truce. That's why I made your invitation a bit more promising -"

" - Oh? How so?"

"By offering _myself_ up as bait."

An arched eyebrow went up in curiosity. " _Yourself_?"

Jack offered up a cocky grin in response. "I have Elsa playing in the palm of my hand. I made her fall in love with me and despite being a powerful CEO, she's still a woman at heart. A woman pining for love...which is what I took from her. Wouldn't she be enthralled to attend a party with the possibility of seeing her lover, who suddenly disappeared one day without a trace?"

"Hm," Peter responded as he leaned back against his desk languidly with a cupped chin. He smiled devilishly and commented, "so, you've played with a maiden's heart and now you intend to use that to manipulate her. That's cunning even for myself."

The young man smirked confidently. "She'll come. Even if I don't agree with your idea for this party, it'll be a good chance to bait her regardless should the occasion arise once more in the future. She's a foolish, naive girl on the inside. I can manipulate her as I please. _Trust_ me."

* * *

"So you're going to that party?"

A smooth stream of thinly veiled cigarette smoke flowed out past Bunnymund's lips. Elsa watched as he brought it back to his mouth and suck in another lung full. She stood next to him, arms crossed, as she focused her eyes down at her dark brown boots. "You sound wary," she commented, followed by what sounded like a nervous giggle.

"Hm," he grunted softly before exhaling another thick plume of smoke. "Well, it's a party that's hosted by Peter Pitchiner himself. Just because he changed his last name doesn't mean that he's a changed man." Bunnymund glanced at the blond. "You know what he did to Manny's parents...and to Frostbite's parents."

Elsa's expression hardened as her grip on her arms tightened ever so slightly. "I know," she muttered, "but...I'm not going for him."

Bunnymund knew exactly what she was referring to. He returned back to his shrinking cigarette and held it to his lips. "So, Frostbite's going to be there too. Well, I guess it's obvious since he's Peter's bodyguard." He glanced at her again and asked, "does Thiana approve of this decision?"

Elsa laughed behind a mirthless smile. "No. She thinks it's a trap set up by Peter."

"I think so too."

She parted her pink glossed lips slightly and whispered softly in hesitation, "but Jack -"

"- might be in on it," Bunnymund finished off. He could feel Elsa's confused gaze upon him and he sighed heavily in response. He put out the cigarette by rubbing it into the heel of his boots and paused for a bit, wondering if the young woman was aware of this. "You shouldn't count that possibility out, Winters. Frostbite left - that's an undeniable fact. He left when he had a chance to prove himself loyal to Manny and to you, but he chose to run away -"

" - No," Elsa cut in, clenching her fists tightly so that her knuckles turned a pale white. "He didn't run away."

"Winters…" the gray haired man responded warily.

"I thought he did too, but Jack isn't a coward," Elsa stressed. "He wouldn't just run away."

"Is that what you tell yourself so that you can go on with your day?"

She furrowed her brow and quickly turned her head into Bunnymund's direction. The dull sting of being insulted shot through her chest, but she loosened up in confusion when she saw the older man let out a low sigh.

He held the back of his head in a sheepish manner and avoided Elsa's gaze. "...Sorry," he muttered under his breath, "I'm a realist. I don't like doting on miracles and things that aren't proven fact. It seems silly."

Elsa remained quiet, unsure of what to make of his confession, and the prolonged silence was what eventually got Bunnymund to let out a louder sigh in frustration, which caused the young woman to jump in her seat.

"She told me not to do that!" he exclaimed, burying his face in his calloused hands. "I'd always do it to Frostbite and she'd scold me for it afterwards."

"Uhm...do what?" Elsa asked hesitantly, wary of how he was going to react next. She knew that the 'she' he was referring to was Thiana. No one else other than her had the audacity to stand up against him.

Bunnymund scoffed into the palm of his hand. "Acting like an ass," he said bluntly. "Sorry again...I didn't mean for it to come out that harshly. I know you miss Jack…"

The intimate way he was speaking to her, even referring to Jack by name, showed her that he was genuine with his words. "That's just how you speak," she cracked a soft giggle, "I'm getting a bit more used to it."

He stifled out a soft chuckle as he rubbed the flat of his hand against the rough stubble on his chin. "It isn't something you should get used to. You can't let people talk to you as if you're beneath them. It isn't fitting for a woman of your stature. Even if I'm the one that's saying it." Bunnymund stood up from the park bench and shoved his hands into the pockets of his dark brown bomber jacket.

Elsa blinked curiously when she saw him walking away. She too, stood up from the bench and called out after him. "Is that it?" she questioned him, stopping the older man in his tracks.

Bunnymund glanced back at her over his shoulder. "You came to me looking for an answer to a question you already have the answer to. Or do you want validation for your answer? For your choice?"

The platinum blond lowered her eyes to the ground.

"You already decided on what you're going to do, Winters. No amount of talking to me will change your decision."

"...But...I don't want to be wrong," Elsa said softly. "What if Jack really isn't there? What if...Jack really isn't on my side anymore? I'd not only be putting myself in danger, but Thiana as well."

"Frostbite's a lot of things," Bunnymund stated. "A lot of things you already know, but there could be even more you don't know about him. However, how can you know all these things for certain if you don't take the next step?"

Elsa stood there, knowing that he was certainly right in what he was saying. She had to take the chance, even if it is a risky one.

She had to know what was going on in Jack's head.

"Just be careful," he told her as he walked away. "I know Thiana's training you in self-defense, but it's different in a real situation. If you doubt yourself, you'll lose, Winters. Remember that."

A perplexed look crossed her face briefly before her expression loosened up. "...You're not talking about fighting, are you?"

She received no reply and instead was given a simple wave of the hand as Bunnymund walked off. All the confusion on Elsa's face vanished immediately after, even though she wasn't given an answer to her question. After a few more lingering seconds passed by, she gathered herself and sharply turned on her heel to walk back towards the bus stop.

At this point, she had heard feedback from those that mattered about her decision to attend Peter Black's party and despite the differences in opinions, Elsa knew that in the end hers was the only one that really mattered.

* * *

"Are you sure that you don't need someone to come with? You know I'm on Spring Break?" Anna insisted as she watched her older sister pack her small suitcase with two days worth of clothes and toiletries.

Elsa carefully tucked away a thin white blouse. "I'll be fine, Anna. You know I don't want anyone else involved in this."

The strawberry blond waved her hand in a dismissive manner, accompanied by an eye roll. "My sister...always the overprotective one."

Elsa pulled her mouth slightly to the side. "I'm not joking around, Anna. This is serious." She fell silent. "...This is the man who killed the Lunanoffs and Jack's parents in cold blood."

Anna crossed her arms over her chest and quietly let out a dismal sigh. She looked away from her older sister and muttered, "of course I know that." Her azure eyes peeked back up at Elsa, who resumed packing her luggage for the weekend long party. "You're still going despite knowing this?"

"I have to. I need to know why Jack's doing all this. I can't go on without any closure."

Pursing her lips, Anna idly tugged at her twin, braided pigtails. "...When you told me everything about what happened with Jack...it all began to make sense as to why you were still hung up over him." She let out a dry laugh as she turned her gaze sideways. "Well, I guess I could relate too. He kinda just...left us, didn't he?"

A bitter taste began filling Elsa's mouth at the thought of her and Jack's final, shared kiss. She subconsciously shoved her nightgown into her suitcase, prompting Anna to let out a light giggle.

"Are you angry over him?" she asked curiously.

"What do you think?" Elsa unintentionally spat out, quickly retracting herself when she realized that she had projected her anger towards the wrong person. "Sorry, Anna," she quickly apologized, to which Anna laughed again.

"It's fine, Sis."

"You have to understand where I'm coming from...he just - left. Without saying anything to me, but another lie. Typical Jack, right?" Elsa finished with a scoff in disbelief.

"I know, you told me." Anna smiled as she patted the bed beside her, silently chiding Elsa to come sit with her. When the platinum blond plopped herself down on the soft bed, Anna coyly averted her gaze to the side. "Did I ever tell you that I might have...had just a slight crush on Jack when we were younger?"

Elsa shook her head, widening her eyes slightly at this revelation. "You didn't tell me and you certainly didn't show it either."

Anna laughed into her hand. "Well, you aren't one to exactly know when someone's flirting or not. You're kind of oblivious when it comes to things like that."

A red ripe blush crossed Elsa's face. "I - I suppose...when was this? You liking Jack, I mean."

"I'm not sure. It's been a while so, I can't really remember. Maybe when we were in middle school?" she idly questioned herself, staring up at the ceiling as if she was trying to find the answer embedded in the pasty white plaster. "I think it was when this guy was bothering me, trying to get me to be his date for junior prom, it was silly," she laughed, "but he was really persistent about it, wouldn't even leave me alone for a second. Kept following me until I got to the front of the school, that's when Jack 'saved' me I guess. Maybe I just got caught up in the heroics, but...I couldn't help, but think that he looked really cool in that moment."

Elsa couldn't really comprehend it. It sounded far too cheesy and something that sounded like it came straight out of a romance movie, but she continued listening, wondering what Anna was going to go for with all this.

"I mean, what's not to like about Jack? He's funny, smart, caring, really attractive to boot -" Anna glanced at Elsa, who made a slight grimace at the high praise she was giving him. To this, she burst out into laughter. "Oh come on, you know it's true."

"It's just awkward hearing him being described like this," Elsa muttered under her breath, the ever-present blush still on her face.

Anna giggled behind closed lips and sighed afterwards as she stared down at her feet. "Yeah...but even if I were to ask him out, I couldn't." She looked back at Elsa. "I just had a silly crush on Jack and that's just how he treated me, it was as if he knew all along... but you - he treated you differently. He always treated you differently. Even the way he looked at you was different compared to how he'd look at other girls."

"That's just because he's my bodyguard…"

"Well, you weren't always the sharpest one when it came to love," Anna said, which earned her a sour glare from her older sister. She ignored it and continued. "Whenever he'd look at you, he'd look so content...so happy to just be by your side. He really loved you, Elsa - and it goes beyond that whole master-servant relationship. I knew I could never compete with that, so I gave up."

She felt slightly sorry for Anna upon hearing this. Elsa nervously squirmed at where she sat and her voice faltered out of guilt. "Wait, but -"

"Come on," her sister cut her off, getting the gist of where her sister was going to take the conversation, "don't pity me or anything over what happened. Like I said, what I felt towards Jack was just a crush. It was going to end sooner or later. Besides...I knew I couldn't compete because he only had eyes for you, ever since we were little."

Anna leaned over closer to her sister and raised her eyebrows, expectantly awaiting a response. Instead, she received a question.

"...Why are you telling me this?" Elsa asked softly. "I mean...I'm grateful that you told me something so intimate, Anna, but - why?"

"You know why," she answered eagerly, hoping that her sister would get the point of her conversation.

The blond's face relaxed for a brief second, before being overcome with the cold, stern expression she held earlier. "No," she responded sharply as she quickly stood up from the bed. "Just because Jack did those things in the past doesn't mean he feels the same way about me now. You wouldn't leave the person you love - ever."

Anna studied her sister's body language quietly from the back, her eyes lingering for a longer second on her clenched fist. "...Is that why you're going to Jack? Because you still love him?"

"What?" she asked breathlessly as she spun around to face her little sister. "I already told you, Anna. I just want answers from him -"

Ignoring what she said, Anna pressed on. "You can't leave Jack because you still love him."

"That's not true! I love Dylan! He's my boyfriend now -"

"- Then why do you still wear the necklace Jack gave you?"

Instinctively, Elsa's hand flew up to her chest to clutch at the small bird charm that dangled from a delicate silver chain. The pointed edges dug into her hand as she clenched a fist around it. Her eyes widened as she stared hard at Anna. She opened her mouth to retort, but no words came out in the end.

After a long pause of silence, Anna crossed her arms over her chest and heaved out a befallen sigh. "If you keep denying yourself from the truth, you're not going to get anywhere with Jack - even if you do meet him at this party. What are you even going to say to him? Are you going to act like you are now? Indecisive? Unsure?"

Elsa felt her brush past her arm on her way out. She turned her head slightly to look at Anna, but only managed to catch a glimpse. Her sister was right - what exactly was she going to do in front of Jack if they were to meet? She couldn't clam up like this, not when the moment would be so crucial.

Anna opened the door, but before she exited, she turned her head back to look at Elsa. Her eyes lowered thoughtfully for a second before she focused them back on the blond. "You know...even if it is a beautiful necklace, I wouldn't wear something that my ex gave me. Unless I still loved them, of course. Just a thought."

The two sisters met gazes and Anna simply gave Elsa a modest smile.

"Have fun at the party, Sis. And...like you said, be careful."

* * *

The swiftly passing evergreens beyond the windows of the car seemed to meld together into one large sea of foliage. Elsa nearly grew numb from it, as if she was pulled into a trance, before the voice belonging to her boyfriend snapped her back to reality.

"Babe, you there?"

"Oh," she stammered incoherently. "Sorry," she responded as she pressed her phone closer to her ear. "What did you say?"

Dylan chuckled. "Still tired from the car ride?"

Elsa let out a little scoff as she turned a slight pink from embarrassment. She smiled down towards her lap as she smoothed her palm out against the fabric of her white denim pants. "Perhaps a little bit," she answered.

"Well, you have fun, okay? I wish I could have come, but you know...work," he ended with a sloppy chortle.

"I understand," she answered with a soft smile. "I will and good luck with work. We'll catch up when I get back, okay?"

"Sounds like a plan. See you later, Princess."

"See you."

Elsa let out a sigh as soon as she hung up the phone. She stared at the dark black screen for quite a while, blankly, before she quietly slipped it back into her blue Marc Jacobs handbag.

She hated it - the feeling of hiding something from Dylan. He was her boyfriend, as she reaffirmed to herself numerous times. She shouldn't hide things from him, especially something like her ex and the huge role he played in her life.

'He still is,' she thought grimly as she saw the car approaching the circular driveway of the resort. Elsa tightly gripped the handle of her bag as Simon pulled up to the club's entrance building. Her heart suddenly picked up in speed. What if Jack was here right now? What if she ran into him the minute she stepped out of the car? What would she say? What would he say? Should she pretend she didn't recognize him?

Before these racing thoughts collided into one another, Elsa quickly calmed down when she heard Simon's voice snapping her out of it.

"We're here, Miss Winters."

Elsa steeled her nerves and sat up straight in her seat, breathing in and out deeply as the car rolled to a gentle stop. She got out of the car herself as soon as Simon parked the car. This was it - this was her moment of truth. Would Jack be there or not?

"Miss Winters!" she was graciously greeted immediately by a welcoming Peter Black. He had his lanky arms outstretched and his lips turned up into a toothy grin as he approached her from the open air lobby.

She had thought that he was going to hug her as a greeting, but instead, he lowered his arms as soon as he got near her and held out his right hand.

"It is such a pleasure to finally meet with the Winters Financials CEO," he said in earnest, his gold-hazel eyes twinkling at the very sight of her.

"Likewise," she greeted warmly with a smile and a return of his handshake.

"Oh, strong grip," he commented on her firm handshake, followed by a smooth chuckle. "I like that. Well then, I'm sure the trip was exhausting for you. As much as I'd love to chat, I'm sure you'd like to retire to your room for the rest of the day? Perhaps check out some of the amenities this resort has?"

"Yes, that sounds lovely," Elsa answered, keeping the smile plastered on her face as she let her eyes occasionally wander around behind Peter. 'Not there,' she thought to herself, feeling a mixture of relief and disappointment wash over her at Jack's absence.

"Well, I know the party starts tomorrow later in the day, but I was wondering if later in the evening you'd be willing to join myself and Henry Haddock for a...private banquet, if you will."

"A meeting…?" she inquired rather bluntly, to which Peter responded with a suave chuckle.

"No, no, my dear," he replied with a lingering hand touching upon her bare arm. "Just a little get-together, that's all. If I could make it anymore tempting, I will confess that there will be better food served at our banquet compared to the food served at the main party."

Elsa thoughtfully looked off to the side for a second before she focused her eyes back on Peter. "I will give you an answer later tonight, if that's alright with you." She saw a slight raise of the eyebrows from him; _he was suspicious_.

He carefully retracted his hand from her. "... _I see_ ," he answered flatly, his discontent shown clearly on his face.

Quickly, Elsa attempted to dispel any negative air between them before it built up. " - I'm just a little tired right now," she laughed sheepishly, trying to remain as innocent as possible. "I'd just like to give you an answer when I'm with a clear conscious, especially when it's such an exclusive private banquet."

"Oh," Peter said, immediately perking up at her response. The corners of his mouth turned up. "Of course, Miss Winters. Who am I to deny that request?" He chuckled lightly, the air of animosity completely chased away.

"Thank you," she replied with a slight smile, relieved that the tension between then disappeared as quickly as it came.

Before Peter could start up another conversation, he was interrupted by one of the staff members at the resort. "Sir, the event planner wants to have a word with you. It's rather urgent," he said in a not so discreet whisper.

"Ah," Peter breathed out with his eyebrows bouncing up in curiosity. "I see. I'll be right there." He turned his attention back to Elsa. "I'm very sorry, Miss Winters. It looks like I'll have to end our conversation here. You...will give me an answer for that banquet later, yes?"

"Of course," she answered pleasantly, hoping to avoid further suspicion from the Pitchiner.

"That's good to hear," he said with a slight drawl. He bared his stark white teeth as he grinned sweetly. "Well then...I'll leave you for now. The front desk can help you out with your room arrangements."

"Thank you."

* * *

A loud sigh erupted from Elsa's mouth as she fell back onto the queen sized bed. A moment of peace and silence was welcomed greatly by the young woman as she turned onto her side, cushioning her head with her thin arms as she stared blankly at the sliding glass door just a few feet away from her. She was finally alone, at least until Thiana arrives.

The monotonous ticking of the clock hanging above the bed was the only sound filling the large room for quite some time and it lulled Elsa to sleep gradually. However, the peace was short-lived as it was interrupted by a soft knock at her door.

"Elsa, it's me - Thiana. Are you in there?"

At the sound of her bodyguard's voice, Elsa sprang out of bed and rushed for the door.

Thiana laughed softly at her after the door was opened. "You didn't have to answer me so quickly."

The platinum blond let the short woman into the room with a heavy, but relieved sigh. She held her head as she closed the door behind her. "Sorry...when I heard the knock, I just felt jolted."

"You need to relax," Thiana told her as she casually took a stroll around the room. Her observant eyes quietly scanned every nook and cranny, making sure that there was nothing that was out of the ordinary.

"It's a little hard considering that it is Peter Black we're dealing with," Elsa replied as she plopped herself down on the bed. "He could be the one responsible for everything that's happened to me. What if he really was the one that's been targeting me this entire time? He could have been the one responsible for kidnapping when I was little. He could be the one that my father had been protecting me from."

Thiana could hear the rising panic settling in, in Elsa's voice. She stopped walking, coming to a rest beside the glass sliding door. Her pink eyes stared at the young woman for a while, waiting for her to continue.

"...I could have just walked right into the trap Peter set for me and all these years could have been for nothing."

"There's ways out of any trap, Elsa," the green haired woman answered. "You just have to play it right - be one step ahead of your opponent at all times. You came here for a reason, to meet with Jack, right?"

Elsa nodded.

"Then that's what you'll do. That's your goal for this weekend and even though Peter Black is the enemy, it's best to lay low for now. Last I hear, Manny has a plan to bring him down in one fell swoop."

"Are you sure he's still willing to go through with it? Ever since I chose Jack over him, Manny hasn't kept in contact with me at all."

Thiana fluffed the soft curl of her hair with the palm of her hand as she looked out at the view beyond the glass door. "I'm sure, because he can't topple Peter Black now without your power," she said with unbridled confidence. "That's why for now, avoid drawing any sort of suspicion and play nice with Peter. We don't know what kind of man he is ever since he went dark for the past several years."

Elsa turned her head away from the female bodyguard and tightly clenched her hands together in her lap. "Peter invited me to a private banquet tomorrow night. He said he would like an answer in a few hours."

"Alone? Just the two of you?"

"With Henry Haddock as well."

She cupped her chin in deep thought. The soft creases on Thiana's forehead deepened as she furrowed her brow in agitation. "...Is he trying to forge good relations?...Or is he setting up a trap?"

"He wouldn't try something dangerous with this entire resort packed with people tomorrow. If something were to go wrong at his party, it would reflect badly on him," Elsa astutely analyzed.

"That's very true, but still...it's best to exercise caution. Accept the invitation, but only if I can be there as well. I'm not letting you go in alone. If you reject him, he may turn hostile."

"Yeah," Elsa answered listlessly, suddenly feeling tired once more. All these mind games were wearing her out. All she wished for was a moment of peace from everything just so that she could focus on the main task, which was to speak to Jack.

Thiana picked up on this and moved slightly closer to the blond. Apologetically, she spoke softly. "I know this isn't easy, Elsa, but -"

" - it can't be helped," the blond finished for her. Elsa gave out a wry chuckle. "I know... _unfortunately._ " There was a short pause between them before she spoke up once more. "I'm sorry, Thiana. I think I'll just turn in early tonight."

The clock showed that it was only 4 in the afternoon, but Thiana knew that Elsa just wanted some time alone with her thoughts. She had no doubt that the young woman was practically riddled with anxiety and about ready to buckle from all the stress it induced. "Very well," she answered with the gentlest of care in her voice. "You have a long day ahead of yourself tomorrow. I'm right next door if you need anything."

Elsa kept a honey sweet smile on her face until Thiana left her room. It was then that she released her perfect composure with a heaving sigh. Her narrow shoulders slouched themselves as she plopped herself down on the bed. It wasn't long before she let out a low groan as she held her head. A headache was coming and she knew she couldn't just sleep it off.

She wasn't even sure if she could fall asleep with so many thoughts racing through her head.

Her eyes strayed aimlessly to the glass sliding door which provided her a pleasant view of the setting sun, to the blank TV screen where she could only see a distorted reflection of herself, to finally a small pamphlet that outlined the luxurious amenities that the resort had to offer.

One word on the cover stood out to her most.

Relaxation - that was what she needed. She needed to calm down and relax. There was no way she could think rationally in her current state of mind.

Curiously, Elsa walked over towards the television stand and picked up the pamphlet. Her eyes scanned through it and promises of soothing saunas and cold water baths instantly sold her to the idea. As she began prepping herself for the trip down to the spa area, she paused.

Should she inform Thiana of this? That would be best after all, but then Elsa knew that even if she insisted on being alone, the green haired woman would also insist that she be there just in case.

And all Elsa wanted was to be alone with her thoughts.

The blond pulled her lips to the side in brief thought before she shrugged and continued to shed herself of her clothes. She dismissed the idea, confident that she could probably handle herself should a situation arise.

* * *

He quietly observed Peter's gestures as he spoke to each of the party guests that were slowly trickling into the resort. They were all from affluence and power, but not as much as the Winters. Elsa was definitely one of the top guests for the weekend and Jack just knew that Peter had something in store for her.

When quiet observation wasn't enough for Jack to crack Peter's clever facade, he approached him from the opposite side of the room. As soon as the lanky black haired man finished greeting one of the guests, he immediately took notice of Jack's sour expression and a grin spread across his face.

"Why so glum, Jack? You know that it'll reflect poorly with the guests."

"It's your party, not mine," Jack answered curtly, earning him a smooth chuckle from the other man.

"Yes, but you are still my bodyguard, aren't you? You're associated with me, therefore -" Peter's voice dropped an octave as he leaned in close to Jack. " - I suggest you listen to my instructions and do as I say."

Jack gave him a sideways glance; his glacier blue eye just as cold as ever in response to Peter's threat.

A light scoff passed by the man's thin, pale lips that soon turned up into a snarky grin. "How scary," he said tauntingly towards Jack. "If you approach sweet little Elsa looking like that, you aren't going to get very far with her."

The black haired bodyguard narrowed his eyes. "She's here and you never bothered to inform me."

"Arrived not too long ago," he replied with a lofty wave of his hand, as if he was brushing aside the importance of the subject. This served to spike Jack's annoyance.

He clenched his fists in response, which Peter took immediate notice of.

"What? Are you angry that I didn't inform you, Jack? Don't worry, she's fine. I didn't do anything except invite her to a private banquet I'll be holding tomorrow with the head of the Haddocks as well. Nothing suspicious, right?"

"You _need_ to stick to the plan," Jack breathed out threateningly through gritted teeth. His voice grew louder out of increasing frustration, drawing the attention of some of the party guests that were checking in. "Hosting this party was bold enough, but if you veer too off-course from what my boss is telling you to do -"

" - Your boss, won't even show his face...much less reveal his real identity other than telling me that he was once affiliated with the Winters. Why should I do as he orders? Much less _trust_ him," Peter ended with a sharp scoff. His piercing hazel eyes narrowed on Jack. "Moreover -"

The sound of a sharp slap broke the calm air in the lobby, drawing the attention of everyone present.

Jack felt the left side of his face burning from the impact of the slap. He kept his head turned off to the side, refusing to look at Peter as he was undoubtedly smirking at him.

He leaned in close, keeping his voice above barely a whisper. " - I suggest you hold your tongue, boy. I'm going to run your little operation now and I don't think that's how you'd speak to someone that's your boss, _hm_?"

When Jack said nothing to him, except communicating only with a glare, Peter flashed him a sweet smile and gave his shoulder a squeeze.

"Dogs that bite the hand that feed them get put down, Jack," he said ominously as he slipped a room card key into the pocket of Jack's blazer discreetly before pulling away. "Now decide which hand will feed you food and which ones will feed you _poison_."

The young man placed his hand over the pocket of his blazer, feeling the sturdy room key underneath the soft fabric. He kept his eyes on Peter as he reassured his guests that the altercation just a while ago was minor and that it was nothing to worry about.

"Just a small disagreement with my disagreeable bodyguard," he stated as a chorus of amused laughter followed.

Jack ignored the rest of it and quickly sought to get out of there. With his hand still clamped tightly over the pocket of his blazer, he left the crowded lobby behind him and went down a winding flight of stairs.

Large glass windows that lined what appeared to be a clean, but lone hallway. As the sun quickly sunk behind the looming shadows of the surrounding mountains, Jack pulled the key card out of his pocket and inspected it. It was a simple black card with no discernable markings on it other than a data strip on the back. His eye lowered onto it as he began to wonder if Peter had slipped him a master key for all the rooms in the resort.

But why?

 _'Now decide which hand will feed you food and which ones will feed you poison.'_

Upon coming to a realization, Jack clenched his jaw and threw the key card down onto the white marble floors. "Damn it!" he yelled, despising the feeling that he was being played with. The persistent stinging pain he felt on his left cheek did nothing to quell his temper, instead, it fueled it further. Things weren't going according to plan and now it seemed as though Peter gave Jack an ultimatum.

Where did his loyalty lie?

Jack stood there for quite sometime in silence before his eye drifted back towards the discarded key card lying on the floor a few feet away from him. His mouth turned into a slight frown. He knew exactly why Peter gave him that card. It was so that Jack could be baited into meeting with Elsa. And then what?

By then, it was obvious that Peter was simply waiting for Jack to slip-up. To make a mistake, to let his emotions get the better of him and destroy the carefully orchestrated control he had so far - but Jack wasn't going to let him have the chance.

He wasn't going to take the bait.

Jack went over to pick up the key card. He was going to return it to Peter right this instant and clearly show that his loyalty lie with him. The plan couldn't fail...not when he invested so much into it already.

He noticed two elevators right next to the stairs that he hadn't noticed before and he pushed the button to go up. As he waited for the nearest elevator to make its way down to him, he shoved the key card back into his blazer pocket, and he lowered his gaze to the floor. Swearing his loyalty to Peter Black when he greatly disliked working under him wasn't something Jack was particularly willing to do.

He had to remind himself why he was doing all this.

Even if Peter wasn't his real boss, Jack definitely didn't want to work for the other man either. He didn't want to work for any of them. He didn't want to do any of this.

But he _had_ to.

The elevator was just one floor away from him.

Jack closed his eyes and visions of a lovely platinum blond woman came to him. He could still remember the way she sounded when she laughed in earnest, the way her hair fell perfectly in place, the way she smelled, the way she felt in his arms the very last time he hugged her almost three years ago…

The bell on the elevator dinged and Jack slowly opened up his eyes.

He was doing it all for her.

When the doors opened, Jack's relaxed eye widened slowly in shock. Was this a dream? No, he was awake. He was fully awake and this was real.

The woman standing before him also seemed equally as shocked. She clutched at her thin, satin bathrobe and her ruby red lips parted slightly upon seeing him. Her azure colored eyes locked with his, astonished, and for the longest time, they simply stood there. Neither said a word to each other, as if they were simply content being frozen in their own little world.

Everything he was doing was for her - for her sake.

"El -" Jack found his subconscious speaking for him, threatening to spill the woman's name from his lips, but he quickly stopped himself in a split second.

However, what he heard next sent his mind into a complete shutdown.

" - _Jack_ ," the blond woman before him said, breathlessly uttering his name in confidence. The fist that held her robe together at the chest clenched itself tighter. "Jack, it really is you... _isn't it_?" she asked him, taking a soft step forward.

He could tell she was just as unnerved as he was by the way that she was visibly shivering.

No - Jack knew that he couldn't let his emotions control him again. He couldn't let his heart win over his mind. Logically, he should calmly tell her that she must have mistaken him for someone else, after all, his appearance was _drastically_ different. The fact that she even found him out must have been coincidence.

The elevator doors began to close once more, separating the two.

Logically, he should have avoided her, so when Jack found himself jumping into the elevator as soon as the doors closed behind him -

-when he found himself colliding rather ungracefully into the young woman -

-when he realized that he had pulled her into his arms to prevent her from falling -

-when he realized that this was the same woman he had held three years ago -

"... _Elsa_ ," he whispered her name in the same breathless manner as she had, as he held her lithe body against his.

-he wondered why his logic deserted him.


	35. Broken Halves

**A/N**

Sorry for the late update again :x This might be an ongoing thing so uh...I don't know. But I will continue updating! I'm trying to get back into the groove of writing again, so please bear with me!

On a really random tangent, but did any of you guys start watching RWBY volume 4 yet? Every scene of Weiss reminds me of Frozen and Elsa LOL, especially in the new opening.

Also! Thank you for the 200 follows! Wow, I never really expected my first, multi-chaptered Jelsa story to get this popular haha. I will also be responding to any reviews left on the previous chapter and on this chapter, in the next chapter. Sorry! I did read each and every single one though and I really appreciate the comments!

Enjoy the moment.

-ZERO-

 **Marionette**

 **Chapter 35 - Broken Halves**

 _Warnings: Slightly M-rated scene in the beginning half_

* * *

He couldn't believe it. Why did he do that? Why did he let his emotions get the better of him in that moment? He just possibly compromised everything that he had worked for in one fell-swoop.

But the heat and warmth of holding her body close to him reminded Jack that...he missed this. He missed her and his body, in response, gently tightened his arm around her shoulders. His subconscious desire for Elsa took over and Jack let it.

It wasn't until when the elevator jolted that his conscious mind took over once more and ordered his body to sharply pull away from her. Jack took a step back, gasping as he did so. He locked gazes with the young woman and the two shared a moment of silence as they stared at each other in blank shock.

To Elsa, it felt as if the elevator was barely crawling its way back up towards the lobby, even though it was only one floor. Her eyes remained on him, but her hands slowly went up to hug herself tightly, as if she was trying to replace the familiar warmth of his embrace that she internally found herself craving desperately.

"...It is you, isn't it?" she asked, trying to keep her voice leveled. Elsa saw him avoid her prying eyes. She was losing him again. "Jack -"

The elevator doors opened up to the lobby level.

" - Sorry," the black haired man muttered. "I mistook you for someone else."

She widened her eyes when she saw him turning to leave. He was running, escaping her...but Elsa wasn't going to let him. Not again.

As another person tried to board the elevator, her hand shot out and grasped Jack's arm tightly, preventing him from leaving. She hit the button for the floor to her room and she could feel a swell of raw emotions overtake her as soon as the doors closed right before Jack's face.

They were alone once again.

"Don't," she ordered him. Elsa drew out a trembling sigh as she tightened the grip on his arm. "You don't get to run away after you purposely invited me here, Jack." She leaned over to hit the button to her floor. Once the elevator began moving again, she continued. "And I think I deserve answers after you decided to disappear from my life."

A few seconds felt like minutes of silence to her before she finally heard Jack respond.

He chuckled lowly at first before turning around to face her just as the elevator doors opened up to her floor. A half-hearted smile decorated his face. "Demanding answers from me - I see that you haven't changed, Ice Queen."

She pursed her lips at the sound of hearing the nostalgic nickname he fondly called her by. "Isn't that what anyone would want? Especially from someone that insists on keeping secrets."

"Hm," he grunted behind a closed smile. "Well, I guess I owe you some sort of explanation. I asked you to come to this party after all." Jack brought his arm up to take hold of Elsa's wrist. He led her out of the elevator and whispered under his breath, "come with me. I don't want to talk out here."

His eye drifted over to a concealed security camera down the hall. Elsa took notice of it as well, but she remained rooted to the spot. In suspicion, she frowned and told him, "I'm not going anywhere with you privately, Jack."

He raised an eyebrow and cracked a lopsided grin. "You don't trust me?"

"You haven't given me a reason to," she responded pointedly.

"So you'd trust Peter Black over me?" Jack asked as he drew her attention back to the security camera with a tilt of his head in that direction. "There's no way that he is going to let you leave this weekend unharmed. Either you follow me or you can just give him what he wants."

Elsa narrowed her eyes at him. "Are you _threatening_ me?"

Jack answered her only with an ambiguous smirk. He tugged at her arm and the young woman very unwillingly dragged her feet as she begrudgingly allowed him to lead her into a maintenance closet. Once they were inside, Jack slid a spare metal pipe in between the door handles, to prevent any other employee with a master key to get inside.

The platinum blond stood there, arms crossed over her chest as she watched Jack slip his key card back into the pocket of his blazer. "If you had access to my room, we could have done this at a later time. Maybe when I'm actually dressed," she said derisively.

"No, Peter needs me later tonight for preparation of tomorrow's party. I'm head of security, so I need to make sure the rest of the security team knows the floor and where to be."

Elsa shot him a disinterested look, which he perceived as a look of suspicion.

"It's just procedure," he tried to explain. "If I'm not there, Peter's going to become suspicious. He's already suspicious enough."

She let out a wry chuckle. "Even though he's an enemy of mine, I can't help, but understand how he feels. You haven't exactly been the _most_ trustworthy of people, Jack."

He opened his mouth to try and defend himself, but promptly closed it when no words came out. His shoulders dropped in defeat. "I guess you got me there," he said, followed by a soft laugh.

She hated that her heart would flutter at the mere sound of his laugh. Even though she was angry with him, her body subconsciously reacted to every little thing that he did. Her fists clenched, the dull pain of her nails digging into her palms keeping herself controlled and grounded. "Why don't you start talking, Jack? If I'm gone for too long, Thiana's going to start searching for me."

"So she is here," Jack commented. "I figured that she wouldn't be too far from you."

Elsa lowered her brow. "Is that why you didn't want to talk in my room?"

"As much as I'd love to see her too, I can't have her interrupting us. She'll only get in the way."

She didn't know if it was how Jack's voice dropped to a low whisper or if it was because of how dimly lit the maintenance closet was, but Elsa suddenly felt vulnerable in front of him. This was an environment that she had absolutely no control over and that alone caused her to shiver involuntarily. Quietly, she pulled the thin spa robe closer to her body, trying to cover up her chest as much as possible.

"I guess you want to know why I decided to make contact with you after all these years."

"That'd be a nice start," Elsa responded, warily taking a step away from him.

"Things aren't going as planned," he simply answered, earning him a look of confusion from her.

"What are you talking about? What _plan_?"

"The plan to keep you safe."

Elsa narrowed her eyes at him and she scoffed dismissively. "Well it was a pretty weak plan from the start if you thought you could "protect" me by joining up with the one person that's out to kill me."

Jack turned his head off to the side, avoiding her glare. "That's fine if that's how you understand it. You don't need to know the specifics."

She furrowed her brow in annoyance. "Don't patronize me, Jack. I came here looking for answers and I'm tired of being left in the dark in all of this. I don't understand why I'm suddenly in danger when things have been quiet for the past three years." The growing frustration was apparent in her voice. "...I don't understand why you had to leave me."

He glanced at her and sighed. "It's true that Peter Black wants to kill you. I don't know why he wants to go to such extremes. He never told me the specifics, but I'm assuming that he wants revenge for his financial downfall years ago. He thinks your family was directly responsible since the Lunanoffs were completely out of the picture by then."

"He wants to kill me...just for that?" Elsa asked incredulously, feeling a sudden chill go through her body.

"That much money can make anyone go mad," Jack continued. "But...Peter's starting to lose it regardless. He isn't right in the head anymore. He looks calm on the outside, but I've noticed that he's been making more rash decisions everyday, one of which is this party and inviting you."

The young woman held herself in order to stop her body from trembling. Her lips dried up, despite the red lipstick on them. "Sh - Should I leave tonight then? I can call Simon -"

"- Don't. That's the last thing you want to do," Jack said to her sternly.

"What?" she asked in a breathless whisper as her blue eyes widened. "You just said Peter Black is a madman trying to kill me! Why shouldn't I leave?"

"That's exactly the reason why you shouldn't. I don't know what he's planning, but there's a possibility that he could have you killed either on your way home or even at your house. If he has you killed anywhere else, but here, he can cover up his tracks so easily that he walks a free man and you -"

Elsa swallowed the developing lump in her throat.

"- end up dead."

She shrunk back, suddenly fearful for her life. "...Is...that why you asked me to come?"

"Yes."

She paused for a moment. "But Thiana can protect me even if I do go home -"

"She can't protect you like I can," Jack roughly cut in, immediately silencing Elsa. "Thiana's a good bodyguard, but she doesn't know anything or what this all concerns like I do."

Elsa looked at him, puzzled, before tearing her eyes away from his. "You're keeping things from me again...why should I trust you when all you've done is lie straight to my face?" She drew in a soft gasp when she saw Jack moving in on her in her peripheral vision. Immediately, she stepped back away from him, a shock of fright chilling her blood. The air felt ominous and Elsa subconsciously pulled her robe closer to her body.

When she was practically forced into a corner, she lashed out at him defensively.

"Don't come any closer!" she shouted, almost hysterically. For a split second, in the darkness of the room, Elsa felt as if the man in front of her wasn't Jack. The paranoia was sinking in. After all, this man looked slightly different from the Jack she once knew. He could just be an elaborate trap set up by Peter Black that she completely fell for.

She stared directly into his ice cold blue eye, which almost seemed as though it was glowing within the dim room. His gaze appeared impassive, but there was an underlying storm brewing beneath it - an intimate passion that threatened to be let loose.

Deciding not to stick around any longer, Elsa made a dash for the door. Jack promptly stopped her with his arm, grabbing hold of her tightly so that he could bring her back towards him. Their bodies collided, her back against his chest. She then opened her mouth to scream as loud as she could for help, but was stopped by his hand clamped tightly over her lips.

Elsa struggled briefly, but stopped when she heard him whisper lowly into her ear.

"That's right. You shouldn't trust me because all I've done is lie to you."

Elsa felt his arm around her waist shift, the very slight movement causing a pleasurable tingle to pass through her body. Her body's reaction was immediate when she heard his smooth voice once more, each rolling syllable causing her to shiver. The tension in her muscles disappeared and she allowed herself to be held by him.

"- But I'll never let anyone hurt you." he muttered, letting his lips leave aimless kisses on the shell of her ear and neck. Jack heard the young woman in his arms let out a muffled whimper as he left a lingering kiss on a pulse. He savored the sweet taste of her skin and found himself craving more.

Her eyes, half-lidded and dilated, remained unfocused as she stared off at the nearest wall. This was definitely Jack, Elsa knew that despite her previous doubts, this was him. He might look slightly different, but she knew that there was no one else capable of making her body react with ripples of pleasurable tingles.

A dormant hunger within him awakened when he heard and felt Elsa responding to his touch. Jack experimentally kept his face buried in her neck, kisses soon turning into flicks of the tongue and then turning into lips latching onto her smooth skin. He groaned huskily against the nape of her neck in response to hearing her shy, muffled whimpers. There was no doubt in his mind that she was ripe with a red blush and he found himself wishing that he had chosen a better lit locale just so that he could catch a glimpse of her lustful expression.

The young woman trembled in his arms. She was nearly overcome with pleasure, each kiss and nibble she felt on her skin sending electrifying shocks coursing through her body. How was it that he could make her feel like this? How could she become so unwound in front of this man so easily?

"Jack," she breathed out, which came out sounding like a moan more than a whisper. "Please...we have to stop." She attempted to wiggle out of his grasp, which served to only make him hold on tighter.

Elsa brushed herself against him and she heard him let out a deep groan into her ear. She blushed heavily and felt her eyes grow heavy with lust once more.

The young woman had many nights after his disappearance where she desired his presence. It would have been a lie to say that she hadn't had an explicit dream about him every so often. She wanted him to make deep, passionate love to her and take her into his arms afterwards while they drifted off to sleep. Her subconscious craved him desperately and for that, she hated herself.

"Jack," she gasped softly when his hands began peeling off the robe from her lithe body. Elsa let out a sharp yelp in surprise when his gloved hand brushed against her breast and began kneading it through her bra. She arched her body, her face tilted up at the dim lamp hanging from the ceiling. Warm air from her lungs escaped past her parted lips in generous puffs. She was losing herself. She whimpered out his name when his hand loosened the robe and slipped down the smooth plain of her stomach. "Jack - no. We can't -"

"- If I had a choice, I would have stayed with you," he whispered huskily, licking the shell of her ear. He grunted through gritted teeth as his hips involuntarily ground against hers. "You know... I would have - ah!" Jack let out a loud, stifled cry, his body overwhelmed by the physical contact from the one person he so desired.

Elsa's blush intensified when she felt his arousal pressed up against her. Her mind began floating back to their first night together. Memories of their bodies melding together, their voices in the throws of passion, screaming each other's names out, the way that he had kissed her throughout the entire night...the way that he had kissed her the night he had left -

Despite being a blushing, sweaty mess, when Elsa felt his hand grab a hold of her jaw and turn her head over to the side so that he could kiss her, she pushed his hand away. Her conscious quickly regained control of her lustful body. "Jack, I mean it - stop," she said with such ice cold seriousness, that he let go of her.

She managed to get out of his hold and she finally turned to look at him. They were both a mess.

Her robe was open and half of it was falling off of her shoulder. His clothes were in disarray; his tie in desperate need of being redone. Their gazes still remained lustful for one another, however.

Jack was the first to speak. "Why…?" he questioned her as he fought to catch his breath. "We both want this. No one's going to hear us and no one knows we're here -"

"- It...just doesn't feel completely right," Elsa interrupted, regretfully looking away from him. She slowly pulled the robe back onto her shoulder as she muttered, "Jack...I...have a boyfriend now. I can't do this with you."

"And that didn't stop you from coming here to meet me, did it?"

"I didn't think we would be meeting for... _this_."

"We weren't supposed to," Jack responded. "But when have any of our meetings gone according to plan?" He saw her turn away, the look of guilt deeply embedded in her face. Memories of what Guinevere had said to him about Elsa played back in his head. So it was true that she had been seeing someone else, but Jack wasn't convinced in the slightest.

Elsa seemed to notice this too, for she questioned him. "You don't believe me?" she asked when she saw how he remained unmoving. Warily, she watched him as he stepped closer to her.

"No," he whispered as he took her back into his arms. "Not when you responded to me like how you did just now -"

She blushed, but averted her eyes in disdain. "It was...just a lapse in judgement."

"Then, was it also a lapse in judgement when you decided to wear that?"

The blond blinked and followed his gaze down to her necklace. It was the one he had given her for her birthday and she completely forgot to take it off - again. Even after Anna had mentioned it to her. Elsa cursed at herself for her stupidity. She quickly hid it from his view by wrapping her hand around it and retaliated in anger. "I don't have time for your games, Jack." She quickly pushed herself out of his hold and took a few steps back in astute apprehension.

"And neither do I," he answered her as he straightened out his clothes. Jack dropped his gaze pensively before stepping towards her. He helped fix her robe and tie it back up. "What I did just now wasn't a game...I really did miss you, Ice Queen. And...I still love you just as much as back then."

The somber mood he set instantly quelled Elsa's anger towards him. She released the necklace from her hand and dropped her gaze. For a minute, her heart skipped a beat, but she knew better than to fall for his words again. Her lips formed into a firm frown. "That doesn't change anything, Jack. The fact of the matter is, is that you left me...without saying anything. Do you know what that's like? To have someone you love suddenly _vanish_ from your life one day?"

"- Elsa."

"I loved you too!" she exclaimed, trying to hold back tears that were threatening to spill out in the heat of the moment. "I still do," she muttered as she dropped her head in defeat.

Jack stood there, looking down at the young woman. He felt guilt and regret bubbling up inside of him. "Elsa...I promise I'm going to make things right -"

"- No," she interrupted coldly. "No more promises, no more lies. I can't do this anymore, Jack. With you...it's just -" Elsa struggled to get the right words out. "I thought you were dead at some point," she admitted in a trembling sigh. "I nearly gave up on you...then I find out that you're alive and working for one of my enemies. I was so confused...and hurt!"

"- Ice Queen, just...just give me time, okay? I'll tell you the truth someday, I promise -"

"- I need closure, Jack. I thought that by finding out the truth from you would set things straight...but it didn't." The blond paused for a bit before reaching around behind her neck. She unclasped the necklace and held the delicate piece of jewelry in her hand. Her eyes sullenly stared at it before raising her gaze to meet Jack's. He looked greatly confused and apprehensive as to what she was about to do next. "Jack...I love you too, but I can't do this anymore. This unpredictable lifestyle...this unpredictable relationship we have...I need stability and peace."

Jack took the necklace as she handed it back to him slowly. His mind was in a blank and it felt as if his body was moving all on its own. He looked down at the necklace in his hand and very distantly he heard her say -

"I'm tired of being hurt, Jack. You may be able to protect me from other people, but you can't protect me from the biggest threat." Elsa avoided looking directly into his eyes or even at his face, for she knew that if she did, she wouldn't be able to hold back her tears. "If this is what love is, I don't want it. I don't want to love you if this is how I'm going to feel all the time.

"Elsa -"

"...I'm sorry, Jack...but we're _over_."

He kept his eyes focused on the glittering necklace in his hand. His mind drew a blank, that is until the sound of Elsa's retreating footsteps brought him back to reality. Jack snapped around just in time to see Elsa removing the metal bar in between the door handles. "Elsa - wait."

The sound of desperation in his voice made her stop briefly.

Jack tried to find the right words to say, but couldn't think of anything else. "What if I need to protect you? There's still a threat towards you...you know that, right?" he asked, practically pleading with her to stay.

Elsa kept herself turned away from him, for fear that she would waver in her decision if she looked him in the eyes. Keeping her voice controlled, she whispered half-heartedly, "I don't know. You can do whatever you want, Jack...I don't care anymore."

He saw her bring a hand up to her face, undoubtedly to wipe away a tear. It was no later that Elsa quickly strode out of the room, trying to hide the fact that she was crying from him. Jack wanted to go after her, but he stopped himself, knowing fully well that no matter what he said, nothing would change her mind at this point.

His body remained motionless in the dark before he quietly brought his hand up to inspect the necklace she had given back to him. The pretty blue gems sparkled even underneath the dim lighting and Jack touched them, running his fingertips across the stones. He then tightly clenched his hand around it and swung his arm down in frustration.

His shoulders heaved in accordance to each breath, and for a moment, Jack thought he would unintentionally lash out physically in anger, but he didn't.

Instead his body slackened and the anger that was within him turned into anguish. There was a deep ache building slowly within his chest and Jack did his best to ignore it, but that was easier said than done. He knew that the end of their relationship was something inevitable, but somewhere in the deep recesses of his mind, he had conjured up an more satisfying, happier outcome.

But this was reality. This was what actually happened and Jack knew that there was nothing he could do to change it any further. Even though he was fully aware of this, he bowed his head and cracked a disheartened smile to the floor, feeling his heart sink painfully slow within his chest.

* * *

Thiana knew that something was wrong. She could tell just by the way Elsa was behaving, unemotional and detached. "Elsa?" she experimentally called out to the young woman. It took her several tries before she finally managed to grab a hold of her attention.

"S - Sorry, Thiana," Elsa muttered as she gently stirred at her english breakfast tea. "Did you say something?"

The green haired woman frowned a little as she intently observed her. "Have you been crying last night?"

"No, of course not," she answered with a lighthearted laugh. "Why do you say that?"

"Well...I don't mean any disrespect, I mean, a lot of women don't look good with makeup, but you look absolutely horrible. You look like you haven't gotten any sleep last night." Thiana saw Elsa's befallen expression and she quickly tried to comfort her. "Sorry, I didn't mean it like that, but...if something happened to you last night -"

"- I'm fine, Thiana...thank you." Elsa raised her head to look at the female bodyguard. She managed to crack a smile. "I guess I really didn't sleep that well."

Thiana didn't seem convinced, but she could tell that Elsa was trying to avoid the subject. Deciding that trying to gouge the truth from her wasn't going to do anything, the green haired woman stood up from the small breakfast table and asked, "should I get you more french toast sticks? Those seem like your favorite."

Elsa nodded.

"Extra syrup, I'm guessing?" Thiana asked with a caring smile.

"Yes, please."

As the bodyguard left the table, a gentle mountain breeze stirred. It swirled around the outdoor dining area, much to the guests delight as they dined on their brunch. The atmosphere was calm and quiet, with everyone keeping to themselves and their own parties. Elsa relished this. It was something much needed after her ordeal yesterday with Jack and the upcoming party.

Elsa propped her elbows up on the table and pressed her lips to her laced hands. The tip of her thumb slid against her lip as she found herself thinking about Jack again. He couldn't seem to leave her mind, much to her chagrin. She broke up with him. She found the closure she wanted by properly breaking up with him, but why was she still in such unrest?

"Get a grip, Elsa," she whispered inaudibly to herself as she squeezed her eyes shut. She couldn't afford to lose herself to distractions, especially not in the presence of Peter Black.

Then, almost as if the mere thought of his name had summoned him, the man himself approached Elsa's table.

"Miss Winters!" he exclaimed cheerfully, drawing her attention. "I'm sorry to have caught you while it seems like you are deep in thought about something."

"Mister Black," she addressed him, bringing her arms down. "It's -" Elsa stalled when she caught sight of Jack standing just a few feet behind Peter. She did her best to ignore him by avoiding his gaze. "- fine."

"Have you slept well?" he asked, his thin lips turning up into a toothy grin that came off as sinister to her. "I do hope the resort staff have been accommodating. I did my best to inform them to be on their very best this weekend for my guests, after all."

"Yes," Elsa answered sweetly, trying to cover up the fact that she was uncomfortable talking to Peter without having time to mentally prepare herself. Not the mention, the fact that Jack was there added another weight on her shoulders. But still, she did her best to maintain composure. "Hosting this party was very generous of you. I'm honored to have been invited."

"But of course! The daughter of the late Agdar Winters is more than welcome to a party I host."

She wrinkled her brow slightly, while still maintaining her innocent smile. "You knew my father?"

"Yes, to some degree," Peter answered curtly. He moved on quickly to the topic he really wanted to discuss. "Have you made your decision about tonight's private banquet? I wanted to ask you last night, but it seemed as though you must have been preoccupied with...another matter."

Elsa noticed Peter's hazel eyes flickering over to Jack just for a split second and she wondered if she had imagined it or if he really knew what had happened last night.

"...You didn't answer your door," he finished.

"I'm sorry," she humbly apologized. "I couldn't quite digest the dinner I had so I went out for a walk with my bodyguard in the area."

"Hm, I see." Before he could say anything else, his attention was diverted to Thiana, who had finally returned with a plate of french toast in one hand and a small bowl of syrup in the other. "Ah, so this must be the bodyguard you mentioned."

Elsa could see the scrutinizing look the female bodyguard was presenting Peter. Fearing that Thiana would come off as rude, the blond quickly attempted to ease the rising tension. "Thiana," she said, drawing her bodyguard's attention. "This is Peter Black. Remember? He's our host for this weekend." Much to her relief, she saw the glare in her eyes disappear.

"Oh," she remarked lightly, "so it seems." Thiana feigned a smile as she set the plate and syrup down on the table.

Peter returned the smile with a rather overly enthusiastic smile of his own, pretending as if Thiana's curt manner of acknowledgment didn't bother him. "So, Miss Winters," he returning his attention back to the young woman. "I assume that you'll be there tonight? Mister Haddock had already agreed to attend when he arrived earlier this morning."

"Of course," Elsa answered him gracefully. She smiled a little and asked coyly. "My bodyguard can be my escort? I get nervous if I'm not with her."

"Yes, I'll be bringing along mine as well. We are all...high profile individuals after all," Peter responded, his smile widening rather ominously. "Security is of the utmost importance, no?" He stood up straight and gave a slight nod of his head. "Well then, I'll expect you tonight for the banquet. I will send someone from my security team to your room to escort you and Miss Thiana to it at 7pm."

"I will look forward to it."

As Peter and Jack left, Elsa made brief eye contact with the young man. She stiffened up and turned her head away as quickly as possible, trying her best to ignore him until he was out of view.

"What was that?" Thiana practically interrogated. She raised an eyebrow at Elsa's odd behavior as she took a seat back down on her chair. "Elsa...did you see Jack last night?"

She didn't say anything and avoided the female bodyguard's prying eyes.

"That was him, wasn't it? Just now next to Peter Black?" Thiana took Elsa's silence as confirmation for her questions. In disbelief, she let out a soft scoff and fell back against the chair. "You should have come to me, Elsa."

"I wanted to speak with him alone...and I never expected that I would run into him yesterday. I thought...that maybe if I didn't take the chance then, I wouldn't have a chance, ever." Elsa bowed her head deeper, as if she felt guilty for what she had done. "He would have never agreed to speak with me yesterday if I suggested that you be there," she added in, trying to make it seem as though she had no other option.

"And why do you think that is? He knows you're vulnerable towards him. He could be exploiting that weakness. Haven't you thought of that?" the older woman asked. She pursed her lips at Elsa's silence. She could tell the young woman was in distress and she had no doubt that Elsa cried last night after her encounter with him, as evident by her swollen eyes. That was why Thiana decided to back off. She knew that if she hounded the young woman any longer, it would only cause her to clam up even more. With a deep exhale, Thiana let go of all the tension and frustration that had built up inside of her. "Elsa," she calmly called out.

The platinum blond gave her a fleeting glance. "...I know I messed up, Thiana. I'd really like for you to not lecture me right now about it. I'm already feeling bad enough as is."

"I'm not going to. It isn't befitting of a bodyguard to bring harm to the person they work for." Thiana quietly stared at Elsa until the two women made eye contact. She gently took hold of the young woman's smooth hand and asked softly, "something else happened between you and Jack, didn't it?"

Elsa bit her bottom lip. "No...it's nothing, Thiana -"

"- you're not wearing the necklace he gave you," she interrupted, seeing through Elsa's lie. "You wore it all the time."

Without answering her, the young woman quickly stood up from her seat and turned her head away from Thiana, just enough to avoid her gaze. "...I'm sorry, Thiana."

"Elsa -"

"- I might rest up a bit before getting ready for tonight's party. If you'll excuse me, I'll be in my room."

The short, green haired woman looked on after the young woman, who was obviously distraught, but chose to remain silent about it. She sighed wistfully, thinking back to Jack and knowing that without a doubt in her mind that something had happened between the two last night.

"If only we knew what's going on in your mind, Jack…"

* * *

 **Next chapter:** _A Banquet Under Seize_


	36. A Banquet Under Siege

**Marionette**

 **Chapter 36 - A Banquet Under Seige**

* * *

Emptiness.

It was the only thing that Elsa could feel as she distantly gazed at her reflection in the vanity mirror. She ran the small hairbrush over and over through her well-conditioned hair; the silky tendrils slipping effortlessly through the its teeth. A distant look glazed her sapphire blue eyes, paying very little attention to what she was doing at the moment.

Elsa felt lost in the labyrinth of her own mind. A person who she had once spoken to every single day and who she trusted greatly was now gone from her life. It was different than when Jack disappeared before. Now, she made the difficult decision of ending things with him once and for all. She wasn't quite sure whether if the uncertainty or a definite end of their relationship hurt more.

The blond involuntarily shivered in her seat as she quietly set down the hair brush. It was as if she could feel the metaphoric chill inside of her chest spread throughout her body. She brought her lithe arms up to hug herself, trying to bring some sort of comfort to herself. It didn't work.

A sigh of utter defeat passed by her pink lips. What was she supposed to do at a time like this? She felt despairingly alone and the coldness of it began freezing her heart to its very core.

Then, as if answering her silent cry for help, her phone rang. Elsa blinked herself back to reality and turned her head back towards the bed, where her phone rest. She quickly picked it up before the call dropped and saw that the caller ID displaying Anna's name.

As soon as she brought the phone up to her ear, she heard her little sister's chipper voice.

"Elsa! Oh god, I finally got through! I hope the reception isn't too bad! Can you hear me okay?"

Her hands trembled out of relief. "Y - Yes, I'm fine, Anna. This is so sudden."

"Well, I know you'll be coming back tomorrow, but I just thought that...I don't know...maybe I should check up on you?" Anna sheepishly laughed. "Not that I don't trust you to take care of yourself, but...you might be meeting Jack and I know how much he meant to you. I just wanted to make sure that you're okay. I can't imagine a meeting like that to be pleasant."

All Elsa could do was let out a breathless chuckle in response. She felt a warm mix of comfort and relief upon hearing Anna's voice and the combination brought hot tears to her eyes.

Anna seemed to have taken notice of her elder sister's soft cries over the phone. "Elsa -" she faltered. "What happened?" she asked in great concern.

Elsa laughed again, stronger this time. She quickly brought her hand up to wipe away at her loose tears. "I'm sorry. I'm just happy to hear your voice, Anna."

* * *

A wide, proud smile decorated Henry Haddock's round face as he tightened up the black bowtie on his slender neck. He looked at himself in the full-length mirror in triumph and he quickly spun on the heels of his black oxfords.

"So?" he asked his bodyguard. "I clean up pretty nice, right Astrid?"

The golden blond raised her eyebrow at his clear anticipation for her response. "What? You want me to compliment you for doing the minimum, Hiccup?"

His jaw dropped slightly agape. "Oh, come on! I managed to tie this all by myself! I usually have Clyde do this for me."

Astrid rolled her eyes at him as she checked the clock in the room. "It's nearly time for the banquet. Peter said he would be sending someone up to our room to escort us down. Are you ready, Hiccup?"

He gave her a skeptical look as he waved his hands down his body in a showy manner.

She glared. "Yes, I can see that. You know what I meant."

The brunette young man laughed softly behind closed lips. "I'm just joking. Come on, Astrid, loosen up."

She furrowed her brow at him as she crossed her arms over her chest. "You do know that Peter Black is very dangerous man, don't you?"

"Yeah, but it's...kind of weird for you to be more worried about this than me. Usually I'm the worrywart, remember?" He approached her and gently took her by the arms, kneading away at her biceps with his large hands. Henry felt the tension leave her body and he smiled down at her lovingly.

Astrid closed her eyes when she felt a light peck on her lips from him. She reopened her eyes shortly after and peered up at him, worry still reflected in her gaze.

"I'll be fine," he reassured her in a soft voice. "I'm more diplomatic than you think."

She saw him smile confidently at her and she let out a light scoff in response. "Just don't get cocky. We don't need Peter's crosshairs focused in on you or your company. I'm sure that the only reason he invited you to the banquet was to avoid suspicion from Elsa."

Henry furrowed his brow, portraying a look of confusion at her statement. "Is this guy still hung up over what happened all those years ago?"

"The Pitchiners lost a lot of money and power back then. Probably more than you or I or anyone else could possibly imagine. I think that's a good enough reason to want revenge."

"Yeah but...to go so far as to kill people over it?" Henry asked timidly, as if the mere thought of such a violent act was frightening enough.

Astrid gave him a sideways glance and asked, "you scared now, Hiccup? What happened to all that confidence from before?" She sneered, finding him adorable when he widened his eyes and blushed, visibly flustered by her question.

He dumbly stuttered for a bit before he felt Astrid's hand gently touch his arm.

"Hey," she addressed him in gentle voice, a rare tone of voice to hear from the usually calloused and hot-headed blond. "You'll do fine. I believe in you."

Henry's body involuntarily shivered when he saw her looking up at him so warmly. Another rare trait to witness from Astrid and he felt pride in knowing that he's the only one that she would reveal this side of her to. His innocent blush darkened however, and his gaze averted from hers. He was never quite sure of how to react when Astrid became like this.

She brought her hand up to the side of his face and gently turned him so that he was looking into her eyes once more. Astrid flashed him a lopsided grin and asked in amusement, "what are you getting flustered for?"

The brunette frowned, but to Astrid it looked more like a cute pout, prompting her to let out a feminine giggle. Henry immediately reacted by indignantly exclaiming, "that! It's just...I'm not used to seeing you like this. It's kind of weird…"

Astrid became somewhat self-conscious and she quickly pulled away from him. "O - Oh," she stammered, growing embarrassed at her actions.

They had just recently explored their romantic relationship together and both were unsure of how to act. This naturally led to many awkward conversations and failed attempts at intimacy. It still made Astrid squirm in mortification when she remembered how she was far too committed to perfecting the art of french kissing, that she ended up scaring Henry half to death at how aggressive she was.

She nervously coughed into a loose fist as she attempted to try and excuse herself, only to end up in his arms. Astrid could feel her heart hammering away at her chest, growing stronger as Henry's embrace tightened. "H - Hiccup -?"

"I didn't say I hated it," he muttered coyly into her shoulder.

A subtle pink blush painted itself over Astrid's face. Just as she raised her head to look up at him, a knock at the door promptly tore the couple apart.

"Mister Haddock?" a voice called out from the hallway. "Are you in there? I'm here to escort you to the banquet along with Miss Hofferson."

The two exchanged a wary glance. Astrid cautiously approached the door and opened it to just a crack. She peeked out and saw an elderly gentleman dressed in a sharp tux standing outside. Seeing as how he posed no physical threat, Astrid opened the door up wider.

The gentleman smiled warmly and extended a hand out in greeting, a hand that Astrid did not take. "Miss Hofferson," he said, disregarding the cold manner in which Astrid ignored his gesture. His gaze switched over to Henry. "Mister Haddock."

Henry simply returned the smile he presented.

Neither of them said a word as they followed the escort towards the location of the banquet hall. They exchanged several awkward glances with each other as they walked a few paces behind the old man. The silence was rather intimidating to both of them as they wondered if they should strike up a conversation with the escort or if they should continue remaining silent.

As they passed the elevators, Astrid furrowed her brow in confusion and asked, "I wasn't aware of a large meeting room on this floor?"

"You are correct, there isn't," the escort replied with a wrinkled smile. "We will need to take the stairs to get to the banquet. It's an extension of the resort that was built specifically for private gatherings. Public elevators having access to the area would take away from the _"private"_ aspect of it."

"I see," Astrid said as she quietly moved closer to Henry. The fact that they were being taken to a secluded location of the resort caused her to grow uneasy and suspicious.

As they descended the stairs, they could hear the jubilant sounds of party-goers on each floor they passed. With each floor passed, the faint sounds of the party grew louder. However, before they could reach the sixth floor landing, the escort led them into the seventh floor entrance.

While the resort itself was pretty, the private add-on to it was absolutely breathtaking. The floor was a sleek black marble that was polished to the point where one could see their own reflection. Adorning the walls were asymmetric, abstract designs that all seemed to meld together in perfect dysmorphic harmony. Although painted in a gloomy mixture of dark grays and blacks, the private area gave off a more modernized feel rather than the latter.

"The banquet is at the very end of this hall," the escort said rather curtly as he stepped off to the side to let Astrid and Henry go on ahead.

Henry acknowledged him with an awkward 'thank you' before leading the way. He glanced at Astrid and commented, "he turned cold rather quickly, didn't he?"

She kept her eagle-like gaze straight forward. "I don't like this," she muttered ominously. "He's trying to isolate you and Winters from the rest of the party. For what? He can't be trying to kill you both and he knows that you're both smart enough not to play into his hands."

Unsure of what to say in response, Henry simply kept his head bowed and turned off to the side. He had hoped that he made the right decision in attending this party. He remembered the talk he had with Elsa a few weeks prior and the warning she gave. Peter Black was a questionable man with an even more questionable past. Many of the Pitchiners were convicted in playing a part in the murder of the Lunanoffs. Henry was well-aware of this thanks to his father.

He always urged him not to get tangled up in the conflict, for it could possibly ruin their family as well. Henry promised, but now he felt a slight regret for going against his late father's wishes.

As if she could read his mind, Astrid glanced at him and gave him some reassurance. "It's too late to back out now, Hiccup. We just have to make the most of it. If Black tries anything, I'll protect you."

Before Henry could say anything else, they were both greeted by the very man they were talking about.

"Henry Haddock!" Peter exclaimed as he graciously approached the young man. His thin lips were spread across his sharp face in a toothy grin as he exchanged a handshake with him. "Glad to see you here. Please, come in. Seat yourself wherever you'd like along with Miss Hofferson."

The pair walked in and saw one large round table, clothed in a luxurious black fabric and only six chairs. Although he knew the answer already, Henry asked casually, "seems like a small amount of people for a 'banquet'."

"Yes," Peter responded, standing in the doorway. "We're just waiting on Miss Winters. I would have liked to invite a few more parties, but if I did, then it would take away from the _'exclusive'_ feature of this dinner I would think."

Astrid turned around to lock eyes with the former Pitchiner. She gave him a cold stare and he simply responded with a convincing smile. Her wariness and suspicion were at their peak. She couldn't afford to let her guard down now.

As they took their seats, Peter greeted the third and final guest to the banquet.

"Miss Winters! Glad to see that you could make it."

Astrid peered up to take a look at the young CEO arriving with her bodyguard. She appeared as flawless as always. Her platinum blond hair was braided and tied into a tight bun, with shimmering white crystal hair pins shaped like abstract snowflakes adorning the sides of her head. Her dark purple eyeshadow was blended out into a fading gradient which perfectly complimented her ruby red lipstick. Astrid had heard from Thiana that Elsa wasn't in the greatest of moods, but she could hardly tell from the way the young woman smiled and greeted Peter.

"Did you doubt that I would?" Elsa asked with a soft smile as held the clasp of her white faux fur shawl with a loose fist.

"Of course not," Peter responded, motioning to her to step into the room and take a seat at the table. "To be frank, it just felt like you were avoiding this banquet from the very beginning. I just had to wonder if you were going to cancel last minute."

Elsa lightly laughed into her hand as she sat in the chair Thiana helped pull out for her. She sat down carefully, trying not to disturb the long white evening gown she wore. "I apologize. I wasn't feeling very well from the start of this trip. I'm not used to the higher elevation."

"I hope you're feeling better now."

"Yes, I am. Thank you."

Elsa looked to Henry and Astrid as she settled herself down on her seat. Before she could speak, Peter cut in.

"Introductions shouldn't be necessary I'm assuming. I think you two are well acquainted with each other."

Elsa could hear Astrid let out a sharp exhale through her nose, which came off like a scoff, obviously irritated with the manner that Peter was speaking to them in. She turned her attention towards Peter, trying to distract him from Astrid's obviously cold behavior. "It seems that you know a lot about us, Peter," she commented, trying to keep the tone of her voice light to avoid suspicion.

Peter smiled, which appeared more like a smirk. He didn't say anything until his bodyguard, Jack, arrived. The two exchanged low murmurs briefly before Peter returned his attention back towards the party. "Well, it appears that the rest of my guests have been well taken care of, now - shall we begin?"

Elsa momentarily locked gazes with Jack before she quickly averted herself. Her heart jumped nervously and she exhaled through her mouth unnoticeably in an attempt to calm herself down. This wasn't the time for her to lose her cool. She had to force herself to ignore him to the best of her abilities and focus on Peter.

Luckily for her, Henry's nasally, but calming voice provided a bit of a distraction to the situation.

"So, Mister Black -"

"- Oh please. Just call me 'Peter'. I do not want any formalities between us."

Henry raised his eyebrow slightly and asked in amusement, "no formalities? Sounds like you're implying that we all become friends."

Peter chuckled deeply. He took a seat and asked rhetorically, "why don't we start with a bottle of cognac?"

From across the table, Elsa could see that Henry made a slight face of disparity at the suggestion to start off with a rather strong liquor before eating.

"I'm not much of a drinker I'm afraid -" Henry quickly shut his mouth when he received a rather sharp jab to his side from Astrid, albeit discreetly. He widened his eyes at her slightly when she mouthed to him 'drink it'. Sheepishly, he returned his attention back to Peter and continued, "- but I suppose I could make an exception in this case."

As one of the waiters brought over the small bottle that contained the expensive drink, Peter's hazel eyes went wide. "Oh!" he exclaimed in feigned shock. "I'm so sorry. I didn't realize that we all have different tolerance levels. If you don't want to drink, you're more than welcome to decline. I don't want anyone getting sick before the entrees arrive."

Elsa saw a small glass of the cognac being placed on the table before her. She peered over at Henry, who seemed to still be hesitant on drinking the strong liquor on an empty stomach, and Astrid, who seemed to be silently urging the brunette to drink it or risk losing face. She could read her lips as she whispered to the young man, "just take a small sip. It won't have that much of an effect on you unless you drink this entire thing all at once."

Peter took Elsa's momentary pause as a sign of hesitation and he addressed her rather patronizingly. "Miss Winters," he cooed, "I can ask the waiter for some water or a light wine for you. I'm not quite sure if a delicate lady such as yourself can handle a cognac."

She responded with a relaxed, feigned smile. "It's fine."

Once everyone received a glass of the rather pungent smelling drink, Peter raised his glass in the air and toasted. "I hope for a prosperous future, for each of us."

Henry gave a nod in agreement and pursed his lips together before he took a small sip from the glass. His face expressed distaste at the strong flavor, but he quickly tried to hide it by bringing the white cloth napkin to his mouth.

Jack felt rather apprehensive of drinking the liquor as well. He hadn't had the time to eat a meal since the morning and he knew that his body couldn't handle alcohol very well in general. He had overheard what Astrid said to Henry and he decided to follow that advice and take a small sip as well, so to not agitate his empty stomach. As he brought the glass to his lips, he stopped when he looked across the table at Elsa, who happened to catch his attention.

By then, everyone's attention was focused on her as she downed the entire glass of cognac in one go. Henry appeared visibly distressed just by watching her and he quickly averted his gaze, trying not to throw up. Jack on the other hand, remained transfixed on her in shocked fascination as he held his own cup of cognac to his lips, still unable to stomach the liquid.

Peter let out a soft chuckle when Elsa set down the empty cup on the table, not a single of a sign developing grimace on her heart-shaped face. "My, my," he commented, "you have quite the taste, _Miss Winters_ -"

"- It's _Elsa_."

He raised an eyebrow at her. Before he could speak, she elaborated.

"You wanted us to be on friendly terms, didn't you? I don't think it's fair that I call you on a first name basis alone while you refer to me so formally."

"Are you sure?" Peter asked with an airy tone of voice. "I wouldn't want to come off as disrespecting the late Agdar Winters' eldest daughter."

The platinum blond let out a relaxed chuckle. "I'm sure. With you referring to me in that manner, it could come off more as condescending rather than what you intend, Peter."

Thiana brought a hand up to her mouth in order to conceal her smirk when she saw a glint of annoyance from the former Pitchiner. He must have clearly underestimated the young female CEO, which is what many others have done over the recent years. However, Thiana knew more than anyone that Elsa wasn't just a pretty face for show. She was a natural born leader and Thiana was proud to say that she helped with her growth.

The green haired woman flickered her eyes over to Jack, who was doing a rather poor job of concealing his interest towards her. He was clearly entranced by her, never being able to take his eyes off of her, and after three years of being apart, he was more than likely downright intrigued about this new Elsa he was now witnessing.

A glass of water in a wine glass was brought to each of them as well as a small appetizer. It provided a temporary distraction from the developing tension in the room. The soft clatter of silverware and plates replaced the silence, but it was soon overtaken by Peter's voice.

"Well then - _Henry_ \- I hope I can call you that," he said in the brunette's direction.

He quickly swallowed whatever it was he was chewing on and choked out a response, "of course."

Elsa locked eyes with Peter, who flashed her a little smile before returning his attention back towards the young Haddock. "I understand Berk is a small country. Your father must have been proud to build up an automotive industry that practically runs seventy percent of the country's economy. You must be proud as well, having such a successful father like that -"

" - Yes, I suppose so -"

"- It must be quite the burden as well." Peter feigned a coy smile when he saw Henry falter at the abrupt statement. He glanced at Elsa, who was shooting him a wary glare. In response, the former Pitchiner shrugged his shoulders languidly and elaborated in a lofty manner, "I mean, I'd imagine it must be difficult for someone as young as yourself to try and maintain the image of your late father - for both of you."

Elsa's eyes narrowed. "I don't know what you're _trying_ to imply, Peter, but I can assure you that how we maintain ourselves and our businesses are none of your concerns."

His sharp eyebrows went up slightly in mock innocence. "I'm not trying to imply anything, Elsa. I'm just pointing out the facts. Surely the two of you must still be struggling to maintain an industry as large as the ones you hold. It's only natural since the both of you are so young, in fact, some of the youngest CEOs in the world."

The young woman didn't take to the explanation too kindly.

"I can assure you. I only want what is in your best interests. There is no need for the hostility."

" _Hostility?_ Why would it be in your best interests to take care of us when we're your competitors? Our families have been at each other's throats for as long as I can remember. We're enemies, aren't we?"

The servers took away everyone's entrees, eaten or not, and brought out the main course. Not a single soul in the room took to the meal, however, not with the mounting tension.

Peter looked towards the platinum blond and smirked. " _'Enemy?'_ Sounds like a strong word to use -"

"- Don't play dumb," Elsa snapped out coldly, grabbing everyone's undivided attention. "I know you blame my family as well as the Lunanoffs for what happened to you. You tried to get revenge and you still are."

Jack grew wary of where the conversation was headed. He moved his arm slightly so that his elbow tapped the gun that was holstered underneath his blazer. He had to make sure that he had it just in case things turned out for the worse.

Peter contemplatively laced his hands together and held them to his thin lips. "I won't lie to you, Elsa. I do hold contempt over what happened to my family, but it is only to the Lunanoffs. I don't blame you for anything...that happened to me of course."

Elsa wrinkled her brow in confusion as she subconsciously drew back in her seat at the ominous feeling the conversation took on. She kept her eyes on Peter, who's smirk turned into a deep frown and his golden hazel eyes seemed to try and pierce her whole being.

"What -?" Before she could finish her question, a loud fire alarm blared throughout the entire building.

Henry quickly stood up, along with Astrid. "What's going on? Is there a fire?" he asked in a slight panic.

Even Peter seemed taken aback by the interruption. He looked all around at the resort staff, who seemed just as equally as confused as everyone else. Then he looked towards Jack. "You made sure security knows what they're doing?"

"Of course, I -" Jack was interrupted by a security guard that came bursting through the doors of the banquet room.

"Mister Black, sir!" he exclaimed frantically and out of breath. "We need to leave. There has been a breach."

"A breach?" Peter asked incredulously as he stood up from his seat. "What do you mean?"

"We did pat-downs on every guest that came in, but some of them managed to get a hold of a few weapons. We're not sure where they got them from."

The dire situation set in completely when they all heard the faintest sound of gunfire coming from the bottom floor. Elsa dropped her jaw slightly in shock, but she quickly averted her attention towards Peter. In anger, she indignantly shouted, "I knew this was a set-up."

Jack saw that Peter visibly upset and confused by what was happening.

"I swear to you, Elsa, I would never dream of doing something like this," the middle aged man insisted frantically.

Before the young woman could say anything else in response, Thiana took her by the arm and gave it a slight pull. "We should get out of here. It isn't safe."

Astrid followed suite and stood up as well, practically yanking Henry to his feet. "Follow me," she told Thiana and Elsa. "We can take the stairs since the elevators will probably be cut off."

Elsa gave Peter one last glare before allowing her bodyguard to take her away to safety. Just before she left the banquet room, she turned back once more - just a subtle glance at Jack, who made eye contact with her briefly before she was whisked away.

He took comfort in knowing that she was going to be safe in the hands of Thiana, but the imminent danger present didn't reassure him that she was going to completely safe. His attention was drawn back to Peter, who stood up and leaned over to whisper in his ear.

"Fix this," he hissed behind clenched teeth.

Jack gave him a sideways glance, his gaze reflecting the idea that what Peter was asking for was practically impossible. With this incident unfolding amongst the high profile guests that Peter invited, Jack knew that the former Pitchiner's public image was pretty much ruined.

The lanky older man seemed to be aware of this as he let out a soft snarl in contempt over the unfolding situation and left with a couple of his other bodyguards.

Jack remained rooted to the spot until he saw Peter being escorted down the long hallway. Once he was out of sight, the young man started his way out of the banquet room and took the stairwell down. As he approached the bottom levels, he could hear the frantic yelling from the guests as they all tried to exit the resort.

His pace quickened when he heard muffled gunfire. The weapon didn't sound automatic, thankfully, but there was still the danger of being shot if you were unlucky enough to have a bullet with your name on it.

With the elevators stopped because of the fire alarm, he passed several guests who were doing their best to climb down the stairs without tripping or falling over each other amidst the panic. Jack managed to fight through the small crowds and make his way towards the second floor. However, once he opened up the second floor landing door, he was met with a cloud of smoke.

"Fire! Fire!" he heard some of the party guests shouting as some of them roughly brushed past him in order to get down the stairwell to safety.

Jack held his sleeve up to his nose and furrowed his brow. The scent was slightly different from smoke produced from a fire and when he moved down the smoke-filled halls closer to the sound of gunfire, his foot made contact with an empty canister, confirming his suspicions.

A smoke grenade.

His eyes narrowed at the small container. How did they get this past security, much less the guns?

The attention on the item was quickly diverted when a sudden, loud thunk resounded throughout the building and almost instantaneously, the lights went out. Jack found himself submerged in near complete darkness, except for the small bit of moonlight trickling in through the windows that lined the hallways. Despite his limited vision, he trekked further into the building, trying to figure out who was behind this attack.

There was no way that Peter would purposely try to sabotage his own party just to murder Elsa. Jack wasn't even sure if this attack was for her. There were plenty of other high profile targets invited to the party and any one of them could be a target.

Although the sound of gunfire ceased, Jack kept his wits about him. He could no longer hear the cries from the frenzied guests, but what he could hear was the sound of approaching footsteps. They were light, almost inaudible against the shallow carpet, but to Jack's trained ear, he could hear them clearly.

He stifled down a cough as he reached around the back of his head to unclasp the eyepatch he wore. He blinked a few times to get his eyes used to his normal vision. It felt relieving to have it off. With so many variables affecting his sight, he needed both his eyes to make sure that he wouldn't succumb to an assailant.

Crouching down slightly, Jack stood completely still, trying to listen for the footsteps again. Were they around here?

The footsteps approached closer and Jack quickly realized that it was someone coming around the corner just a few steps before him. He had to act fast.

"This way!" he heard a voice shout in the distance.

His head remained calm, but his heart rate sped up when he lunged forward, attempting to quickly get the upper hand on whoever he was about to run into. Friendly or not, he had to make sure that they didn't harm him. Jack grabbed the figure that appeared before him roughly by the arm. He heard a sharp, feminine gasp.

Good - since this is a woman it would be easier to handle her.

However, before Jack could grab both of her lithe wrists, the woman attempted to elbow him in the gut. He quickly stopped her by grabbing and twisting her arm closely to her back. She continued struggling, stifling down her grunts through clenched teeth.

He was forced back closer towards one of the large windows in the hallway and in the sliver of moonlight, he saw that the woman had a head full of platinum blond hair in an all too familiar braided bun. His eyes widened. "El -?"

In the split second when he was taken off-guard, the young woman released herself from his grasp and spun around rather wildly, delivering a sharp left hook that hit Jack directly across the face. He staggered back in pain, holding his injured face, but he had very little time to recover as he was shoved to the ground.

Jack grunted as the fall knocked the wind out of him. He tried to get back up as quick as he could, but was denied by the weight of her straddling him across the waist. A rough yank on the collar of his shirt brought him halfway up and he saw Elsa readying a pulled back fist at him.

She panted heavily, apparently riding the adrenaline rush that fueled her up until now. It wasn't until a few seconds later that she realized just who she attacked.

"...Jack?" she breathed out in half shock and confusion. Her blue eyes seemed to glow in the hazy darkness as she stared down at him, completely bewildered that she managed to take him down.

Jack could feel the warm rush of blood trickling out from his nose, thanks to her. He brought his arm up to wipe it away. As he did, he chuckled. "I see Thiana's been teaching you well."

Elsa remained silent, unsure of what to say to him. Apologizing didn't seem right, but saying that she felt a slight pleasure from being victorious against him also seemed inappropriate. Instead, she remained frigid and still.

"You know, Ice Queen," Jack said with a widening smirk, "as much as I wanted to try out this position, how about another time? Maybe when we're both out of danger?"

Her eyes widened and her cheeks flushed red in anger and embarrassment. Her mouth immediately dropped open in speechlessness. Before she could say anything to him, she felt him grab her arm and lean up closer to her face.

"You can yell at me later, but for now, we have to move. Like Thiana said to you earlier, it isn't safe here."

Elsa got up off of him, but remained stubborn. She tried to release her wrist from his grasp.

His mood quickly changed. Jack met her indignant glare and he told her rather crudely, "I don't give a shit at this point if you don't trust me. Just come with me if you want to make it out of here alive."

She had nothing else to say to that. Not only did she lose contact with Thiana amidst the mass of party guests, but she was vulnerable against these unknown assailants if she were to run into them without any protection. With this in mind, she let her shoulders relax and told him, "fine."

"Good -" Jack stopped mid-speech when he caught a shadow moving in his peripheral. He turned and saw a man dressed in a clean tux just a few feet away from them. It was hard to see in the darkness, but when Jack saw the glint of a gun being drawn out from underneath the man's jacket, he quickly moved into action.

He pushed Elsa out of the way and ran forward, swerving his body just in time to dodge a bullet that whizzed past his head. His hand managed to grab a hold of the gun, throw it off to the side, and the two men entered a brief, physical struggle. With each of his actions calculated and precise, Jack elbowed the man in the jaw and managed to get around behind him, locking him in a choke hold.

"Who do you work for?" he questioned him.

The man laughed. "What are you talking about? I'm just a guest -"

"- Likely story," Jack whispered dangerously as he tightened his arm around the man's neck. "If you were a guest, you wouldn't have drawn a weapon on me. Guests wouldn't be able to tell who's who. You guys on the other hand, know each other. So tell me, who are you working for?"

He sneered. "Who I work for is none of your concern, boy."

Before Jack could react, he was forced backwards by the man putting his entire weight on him and the two tumbled to the ground. His hold loosened and the older man used the opportunity to free himself. He rolled over and quickly put his large hands around Jack's neck, attempting to strangle the young man.

Jack gasped for air as he tried to pry away the man's hands. When it didn't work, he tried to bring his legs up to kick him away. It all seemed futile, but just before Jack lost consciousness, he heard a loud thump. The man stilled above him and immediately afterwards, his eyes rolled back into his skull and he fell over lifelessly.

Standing above him was Elsa, who had used his gun to knock him unconscious. Her shoulders heaved up and down with each pant as she looked down at Jack.

He coughed, quickly regaining his breath and senses in time for him to see Elsa's outstretched hand. As he was pulled up to his feet, he uttered a small word of thanks before he was met with a swift slap to the face.

Elsa could tell that he was undoubtedly confused by her action. She shot him a glare and answered in a curt manner, "that's for the joke earlier."

He scrunched up his face in confusion. " _What_ -?"

"It's _inappropriate_ , Jack," she responded pointedly.

He rolled his eyes. "You're as frigid as always, Ice Queen. I didn't mean anything serious by it."

She grit her teeth and bunched her hands up into tight fists by her side. "And you're so insufferable! I can't believe I'm even having this argument here with you!"

Jack scoffed, getting genuinely annoyed with her at this point. "The feeling's mutual. I just saved your life and you repay me with a slap to the face?"

"I saved _your_ life!" she emphasized sharply.

Before their argument could spiral down into childish name calling and verbal jabs, Elsa stopped herself and simply began walking away from the young man with her head held pettily high. Jack went after her, his face showing an expression of complete confusion.

"Uh, excuse me, but where do you think you're going now?" he asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Towards the exit obviously," she answered irately, her arms swinging and hips swaying with each arrogant stride.

"Do you even know where it is?"

"Uh, yes, I do as a matter of fact." Elsa felt him grab her by the shoulder, but she quickly brushed him off. She flashed him a defiant look. "I don't need your help, Jack. I'm perfectly capable of handling myself, as you experienced first hand."

Jack narrowed his eyes when he saw her eyes flickering briefly down to his bloody nose, which had ceased, but it still throbbed a terrible pain. "I only let down my guard when I realized it was you. Had it been anyone else, you would have been easily subdued."

The smokescreen around them was slowly clearing up and the sounds of panic diminished greatly. It was as if the two of them were immersed in their own bubble of silence.

"Listen," Jack contested with an exasperated, inaudible sigh. "I know I'm the last person you'd want to be with right now."

Elsa kept her lips tightly pursed and her gaze averted towards the ground. She suddenly felt apprehensive to confront him - nervous and timid.

"But let me help you, just this one time. Then I promise…" He sighed distantly. "I promise to get out of your hair for good. You won't ever see me again...okay?"

Her eyes widened slightly at his proposal. She peeked up at him through the corner of her eye. "...Just this one time?" she asked softly, feeling somewhat sullen over the news. Was this really the last time she was going to see him? "You...promise?"

He moved closer to her. "I do," he replied in earnest.

Her brow wrinkled slightly in skepticism. "You haven't been very good keeping your promises to me, Jack."

"I know," he responded, standing flush against her. He brought his gloved hand up to gently tuck a lock of loose blond hair behind her ear.

Elsa shivered at the subtle touch that ghosted the shell of her ear. She peered up at him as the tips of her fingers twitched. She had a desire to hold him, but she knew that she shouldn't. Jack wasn't hers anymore, in any regard; not to mention that she was the one that made the decision to break up with him.

Just as Elsa felt a blush creep up her slender neck, she heard Thiana's voice calling out for her. The young woman perked up at the sound of her bodyguard and tore herself away from Jack. "Thiana?" she answered hopefully.

Jack could hear Thiana calling out again, attempting to locate Elsa through the dark maze of hallways. He stared for a while at the back of Elsa's head, trying to formulate a change in plans at the top of his head.

"Thiana? I'm here -!"

It all happened so fast that Elsa could barely process what was going on. All that she knew was that she felt Jack yanking her back towards him and her lips colliding rather painfully against his. Instinctively, she tried to push herself away from him.

"Jack - _mmph_!" she gasped for air before being brought back in for a silencing kiss.

Jack kept his eyes tightly closed as he tried to keep her from struggling. He could feel the vibrations of her muffled whimpers of protest against his mouth. His lips parted, deepening the kiss between them, and almost like magic, he could feel Elsa starting to relax against him. He let out a low moan into her mouth as their tongues slid against each other, reaping pleasure for himself as well. That caused the young woman's knees to nearly buckle out from underneath her, but Jack kept her supported by holding her around the waist.

Elsa's whole body felt as if a sudden weakness hit her. It was embarrassing to admit, but she could barely keep herself on her feet, much less keep her wits about her, as Jack ravaged her mouth with his. She couldn't register what was happening, as her mind was drawing a complete blank.

Just as she was about to bring her hands up to rest them upon his broad shoulders, her eyelids fluttered as her vision began fading to black. By the time she realized that the pressure she felt on her neck was Jack's thumb, pressed tightly against her pulse, she succumbed to the dark depths of unconsciousness.

Her body went slack and Jack caught her in his arms before her limp body fell over. He could hear Thiana approaching quickly, calling out the young woman's name frantically. Jack's gaze fell back down onto the unconscious woman in his arms. In the dim light of the moon, he saw the red mark he had left on her neck. The last thing he wanted to do was harm her, but he couldn't let Thiana get in the way of everything. It would allow for him to escape if he left an unconscious Elsa here as a distraction.

"You know I'm a liar, Ice Queen," he whispered before setting her down on the ground just as Thiana arrived.

He raised his head just in time to make direct eye contact with the short, green haired woman, who stood a few feet away from him. She appeared startled for a moment, lips parting in shock, before coming to her senses.

"...Jack," she addressed him cautiously as she stepped forward warily. Her pink eyes focused in on him like a hunting hawk.

He didn't respond and instead, continued to maintain an impassive stare with her.

"I know it's you," she said as her eyes darted down to Elsa, whom he held against him. "Did you...harm her?"

He could see the female bodyguard worriedly eyeing the unconscious young woman. Seeing as how he no longer needed, Jack placed the unconscious Elsa on the floor and turned to leave.

"Wait -!" Thiana stopped when she saw Astrid approaching her from the adjacent hallway.

"Did you find her?" the other female bodyguard asked, only to stop when she realized what she had just walked into.

Jack shot a glare over his shoulder at the hot-tempered blond, who noticed him as soon as she caught up to Thiana. He didn't expect Astrid to be here as well.

"Frost," Astrid growled lowly, her expression quickly changing as her dark blue eyes narrowed in a dangerous glare that matched his. When she saw the black haired man turn to break into a run, she gave chase.

"Astrid! Where do you think you're going!?" Thiana shouted after her in a scolding manner.

She stopped just to answer her. "Take care of the little princess, Thiana. I'm going after him. He has to know something about tonight." Her legs picked up the pace once more, trying her best to catch up to Jack before he disappeared for good. She saw the sliver of his shadow slip into the stairwell.

Jack could hear her footsteps closely behind him as he descended the metal stairs as swiftly as he could. Her sudden appearance really threw a wrench into his work, but he considered it nothing more than a minor inconvenience. He was confident enough that he could get rid of her.

Once he made it to the lobby floor and went for one of the side exits in an attempt to throw her off. It was just a small diversion and Jack knew that Astrid wouldn't be so easily fooled, but he just needed to buy himself a little bit of time.

Astrid panted heavily as she exited the stairwell. She stood in the deserted lobby, trying to determine where the other bodyguard ran off to. Calmly, she gathered her thoughts and walked out towards the front parking lot. If he was trying to escape, she would assume that he would be somewhere there.

Many guests were still present, some trying to cope with the chaos by breaking down into tears, while some were raising hell in a drunken stupor against the resort employees. Astrid paid no mind to any of them and casually looked around, trying to spot Jack in the darkness of the parking lot.

"Would be a lot easier if he had kept his white hair," she muttered under her breath as she tried to spot the tall young man.

She tried to cut across the parking lot, but was stopped by a black BMW of the latest model that barely missed her as it zipped past. Astrid's eyes went wide as she stared at the car for a second longer before running off to her parked motorcycle. In her mind, that had to be Jack. There was no one else that would be in that much of a hurry to leave, so much that they would nearly run someone over.

The stylish, blue-teal fusion sports motorcycle that she fondly nicknamed 'Stormfly,' awaited her in the dark corners of the parking lot. The engine purred beautifully when she started the bike, like a sweet melody to her ears. She revved it up a few times before speeding out of the lot. Despite Jack getting a headstart, Astrid was confident that Stormfly could help her catch up to him.

The prototype model bike sped down the narrow mountain roads, glossing down the asphalt surface as if it was ice. Astrid's ponytail whipped around wildly behind her as she picked up speed. She squinted her eyes against the cold winds that chilled her skin. Her vision narrowed and she could see the taillights that belonged to Jack's car up ahead.

She stepped on the gas and sped up so that she could catch up to the driver's side of the car. The windows were tinted, preventing her from seeing anything inside, but it slowly rolled down and Astrid widened her eyes when she saw that she was staring down the barrel of a gun. With fast reflexes, she applied the brakes and barely dodged the shot that was clearly aimed for her head.

Astrid grit her teeth as she tailed the car. There was no doubt now that it was Jack.

She sped up once more, this time going to the passenger's side.

"Hey! Frost!" she yelled out to him. "Stop the car!" Astrid didn't expect him to comply, but she definitely didn't expect him to retaliate in the way that he did. She let out a gasp in shock and realization when he jerked the car against her. He was attempting to try and bump her into the mountainside without any mercy.

Astrid managed to dodge it by quickly steering her bike to the side and decelerating so that she was tailing him from behind once more. She glanced down at her speedometer and saw that she was already going the maximum speed the bike allowed with the engine working in full throttle. "Damn it," she whispered behind gritted teeth. Even though this prototype was claimed to be able to maintain its high speed for a long time, every engine had its limits, not to mention that it was still a prototype in the testing phase. She had never tested it to this capacity. There was no telling what would happen.

Her next option was to try and shoot the tires out from under him, but that was risky. Not only would that result in a catastrophic accident, but they weren't the only ones on the road as well.

The roads began splitting into multiple lanes and roads, giving her more space and more chances to weigh her options. Astrid decided to split off into a different direction to try and cut him off.

Jack's eyes flickered up towards the rear view mirror and he saw the headlight from Astrid's bike swerve off to the side and disappear from view. He focused his attention back on the road in front of him. Astrid wasn't one to throw in the towel so easily, he knew this.

Anticipating what was to come, Jack slowed the car down and as he suspected, the blonde popped out from the crossroads ahead of him and slid to a screeching stop.

She propped the motorcycle upright with her leg as she stood in front of the oncoming car. The headlights blinded her, but she took out her gun and fired off a few rounds into the engine hood and the windshield.

Jack heard the bullets break the windshield glass and fly past his head, barely missing him. He let out a wry chuckle to himself as he brought the car to a rough stop on the side of the road.

Astrid rolled her bike over to the small, plateaued side of the road that overlooked a rather steep drop down. She cautiously watched as the plume of disrupted dirt disappeared slowly from behind Jack's car. Finally, she saw him step out. Upon sharing a glance with him, she smirked dryly. "So it was you. I had my suspicions, but I never took you for a coward that would side with the enemy."

He said nothing to her as he shed his blazer, revealing his weapons holster strapped tightly around his slim torso, and tossed it into the car.

"Why the glare, Frost? I should be the one shooting you a dirty look since you tried to kill me just now." She dismounted her bike. "What? You want a rematch?" she asked haughtily upon seeing him approach her with an aggressive aura surrounding him. Astrid tilted her chin up and gave him a cocky, lopsided grin as she tightly pulled her black leather gloves down on her hands. "I can assure you that the result will be the same as last time."

Astrid backed away cautiously when she saw him run towards her to attack first. She blocked and pushed away his first punch with her forearm. Without losing momentum, she tried to uppercut him, but missed when he bent backwards to dodge it.

Jack let himself fall to the ground in order to deliver a sweeping kick to throw the young woman off balance.

She stumbled backwards, dangerously close to the edge of the cliff. When she nearly lost her footing, she felt a hand grab her by the wrist, saving her from certain death. Astrid could feel the viciously cold mountain air whip her hair around as she stared up into Jack's distant, narrow eyes.

Before she could react, he pulled her up sharply and threw her down onto the ground behind him.

She grunted from the impact and she quickly snapped her head towards him, baring her teeth. He was definitely a lot faster than he was when they had first fought.

"This is your last chance to run," Jack finally said to her as he stood menacingly over her.

" _What_?" she hissed.

"I can only imagine that you came after me because you came looking for answers, but I can assure you that I'm under no obligation to be telling you anything - or the Guardians."

Her eyes narrowed up at him.

"Get up," Jack ordered in a frigid tone of voice as he circled her slowly.

Astrid grit her teeth as she picked herself up slowly. She stepped away from him and warily asked, "I'm. Not. Running," she said, punctuating each word with a sharp breath. Her lips formed into a cocky grin. "You must be delusional to think that I would, Frost. Not until I get what I came here for -!"

She threw a punch at him, only to have him catch her fist in his hand. Astrid drew in a sharp gasp when she felt him yank her closer to him.

He held her wrist in a vicegrip, enough for it to make her wince in pain. In a low, ominous whisper, one that was enough to make even Astrid shiver in fear, he told her, "then I take no responsibility for what happens next."

* * *

 **A/N** Sorry if this chapter seemed a bit choppy. Trying to get back into the groove of writing.

I feel it's been a while since I've responded to any reviews, but I'll respond to them in the next chapter. But thank you to **Author1911, For the Love Of Fantasy, Furiyan, The Atlantean, KenzoFan, RJCA27, Migoreng, snowfire12345, Cricri, FanficOverload, Melissa,** and **AnthroDragon** for your amazing reviews!

Feel like it's been too long for me to respond to the reviews left since most of them have been left a month or so ago haha. Again, I really appreciate the support and the things you guys have to say about this fic. I do try my hardest with each chapter, so the words of encouragement are really nice.

The next few chapters are going to be really eye-opening and a lot of questions will be answered in them, so brace yourselves! I know certain characters have been MIA for a large portion of the recent chapters, but don't worry, they'll be back!

Til next time, in the hopefully near future when I update again.

\- ZERO


	37. Near Death

**A/N** Sorry for being MIA - again. I rewrote this chapter a couple of times because I wasn't satisfied with it. I'm not sure if I am still. I'm unsatisfied with this story as a whole because I feel like I could've done a whole lot better.

But I'll think about a rewrite when I actually finish this version.

For now, thanks for those that are actually still awaiting chapters for this fic. I know it's been several months since the last update and my life has just been getting busy.

Enjoy the moment

 **Marionette**

 **Chapter 37 - Near Death**

"What the _hell_ is going on? Didn't I specifically tell you all to make sure nothing like this happens tonight?" Peter hissed in between clenched teeth as he scolded his apologetic bodyguard.

"I'm sorry, sir, but we need to leave," he hurriedly said as he tried to coax his boss into the backseat of the luxurious Rolls-Royce.

Peter growled under his breath and very unwillingly slid into the backseat. He turned back, watching his party devolve into chaos as his bodyguard took the seat beside him. The reputation that he had built from the ashes of the former Pitchiner household were burnt down once more. It was hard to look away, but Peter sharply turned back around for his own sanity.

"Let's go back to the estate for now," the bodyguard hastily instructed their driver, who gave a curt nod of his head in response.

The car gently rolled down the road, away from the resort. A few minutes passed and finally the bodyguard let out a soft sigh of relief. He slumped back into his seat and at this, Peter scoffed. "You can relax at a time like this?" he spat out, expressing his mixture of emotions with a voice that reflected seething rage.

" _Sir_ -"

"- This is precisely why this sort of thing happened. You all slacked off even when Jack and I gave you specific instructions not to. Do you understand what will become of my reputation now?" Peter stressed the gravity of the situation immensely with his firm tone. His expression and voice relaxed as he whispered pathetically under his breath, "my efforts have all gone to waste in a blink of an eye."

"Sir, I understand, but -" The bodyguard stopped mid-sentence when he put more focus on the passing scenery outside.

"What?" Peter snapped impatiently. "Tell what you do understand, Simmons -"

"- Excuse me," Simmons asked the driver, ignoring Peter entirely. "Where exactly do you think you're going? This isn't the route to take - !"

It all happened so fast. A single gunshot, silent, struck the bodyguard in the dead center of his forehead. His lifeless body went limp next to Peter, who sat there in complete, frigid shock. He was petrified to even look at the driver as he was too busy trying to process what had just happened.

The driver who had fired the gun, spoke up. "We're taking a slight detour, Mister Black. Or should I refer to you as, Mister Pitchiner?"

Peter turned his attention towards the mysterious man who had disguised himself as his usual driver. His hazel eyes narrowed in suspicion and wariness. "Who...are you?" Their gazes met in the rearview mirror.

The driver simply smiled and returned his eyes back onto the road in front of him. He drove in silence, only to have Peter retort in anger a few seconds later.

"I'm speaking to you -!"

"- _Emily_."

Peter grew still at the mention of his late daughter's name.

"Emily Jane Pitchiner," the driver recited monotonously. "She was your daughter, wasn't she?" He paused, finding enjoyment in seeing confusion cross the Pitchiner's face. "She was also fond of dolls, was she not?"

His eyes widened at the stranger. "How did you -?"

" - Of course," the driver nonchalantly shrugged. "I'm just fishing. Doesn't every girl like playing with a doll?"

Peter shot a wary glare over at the mysterious driver. "...Who are you?"

He smiled at him through the rearview mirror, cleverly hiding the malicious intent in his eyes. "Why don't we go for a drive, Peter? We have _a lot_ to talk about."

* * *

Astrid grit her teeth as she threw another punch that barely grazed Jack's cheek. The fatigue in her body grew steadily, but she forced herself to continue throwing kicks and punches. There was no way in hell that she was going to lose to the likes of him.

Her footing slipped slightly when she missed another kick, providing Jack with a clear opening for an attack. His foot connected with her sides, sending the young woman tumbling down onto the uneven dirt and gravel covered ground.

Jack stood over her limp body and simply stared at her as she attempted to regain her breath and energy. After seeing her struggle to pick herself up once more, his frown deepened as he questioned her coldly. "Did Manny send you after me?"

Astrid managed to pick herself up so that she stood up on one knee. She held her injured side, but was quickly struck down once more with another kick from Jack. A strangled cry left her mouth upon impact with the ground and she coughed violently, trying to regain her breath. Despite the pain that wracked her body, Astrid shot a sharp glare up towards Jack. In a display of defiance, she spat out a bit of blood off to the side, all the while keeping her gaze on him.

His blue eyes flickered to the fresh bruises that colored her face, then back up to her eyes. Impassively, he commented, "is it worth giving up your life for him? Is Henry okay with that?"

Astrid's eyes went wide in a defensive rage at the mention of her master. "Don't act as if you know our situation!" she yelled as she used her remaining strength to throw herself at Jack, tackling him down to the ground.

The two tumbled on the uneven ground, nearly on the edge of the steep cliff. A cold wind blew past them as Astrid finally managed to gain the upperhand against him. She pinned the young man underneath her and clenched her jaw as she looked into his eyes, his gaze cold.

"And what situation would that be?" Jack asked, his composure being shaken when he could hear several loose rocks tumbling down into the valley below. His hands instinctively flew up to Astrid's wrists, tightly holding them as she held him down by the shoulders.

A cold wind whipped all around them. Astrid shouted over the howling noise it created. "Why do you oppose Manny so much!? He's only doing what's right - !"

" - Don't ignore my question!" Jack interrupted, his voice rising in frustration. "What kind of situation have you two been placed in that you're willing to blindly follow that man!?" He let out an involuntary gasp when he could hear the ground continue to crumble beneath them.

Astrid seemed oblivious to the dangerous situation they were in. She was too caught up in her own desperation to think straight.

He called to her to grab her attention. "Astrid, we're both going to die if you keep this up -"

"- Jack...please give me your answer, but please don't make me do something I will regret later."

He grew still at the sound of his name. She had almost never called him by his first name, nor had she ever shown such desperation in her eyes towards him. A single wind gently tousled his black bangs across his forehead as he remained silent towards her. Finally, he answered her. "I...will never...go back to following Manny or rejoining the guardians."

Astrid bowed her head and grew ominously silent.

He tightened his hold on her wrists. His cool blue eyes narrowed at the sound of the ground giving way beneath him. "Manny sent you to kill me, didn't he?"

She continued to remain silent above him.

"Do it then. Push me off this ledge right now." Jack tested her. "I gave you my answer, didn't I? Or...my answer didn't even really matter from the start. Manny told you to kill me no matter. That's why you were so hell bent on chasing me down. ...What is he going to do to you and Henry if you can't kill me tonight?"

"I _can't_ -" Astrid breathed out in a harsh exhale just before the ground finally gave way.

As soon as the earth beneath them crumbled, Jack used all his strength to shove the young woman off of him and away from the weakened section of the cliff. She fell back and watched in horror as he disappeared from sight. Her blue eyes widened considerably as she quickly crawled over to the edge of the cliff, careful not to further disturb the cliffside.

It was pitch black at the bottom of the deep valley, preventing her from seeing where Jack could have fallen. A cold wind blew over her again and she stood there on all fours, in shock and disbelief that he had fallen presumably to his death while saving her. A hoarse whisper of his name passed her lips at first, but as she opened her mouth wider to let out a shout, she was interrupted by another familiar voice behind her.

"Stormfly!"

Astrid sharply turned around in time to see Aster running up to her hastily. He grabbed her by the shoulders and pulled her away from the dangerous edge.

"A - Aster...Jack...he - " she stammered, still in shock over the events that transpired.

"Damn it," the older man cursed behind clenched teeth. He shot a look down at the dark valley and then back at Astrid, who was in a catatonic state of shock. "Stormfly, listen to me, stay here."

"H - Huh?"

"Stay here. North and Sandy will be here soon to take you back to Henry."

"What about you?"

Aster pursed his lips tightly together as he stood up and walked over to the edge. Gathering up all the air he could in his lungs, he let out a bellowing shout. "Frostbite! If you can hear me, I'm getting you out of there! Just hold on!"

The young woman stared at him as if he had lost his head. "...There's no way Jack could have survived that fall," she whispered breathlessly.

"Something like that wouldn't kill Frostbite. No way." Aster hurriedly adjusted the rifle that was slung over his shoulder and turned back towards Astrid. "I'm going down there to bring him back." He pulled out a pocket flashlight and it flickered on at the touch of a button. Before he left however, he stopped and addressed her.

"Stormfly…"

She raised her head to look at him.

"...Don't ever lose your composure like that. You need to stay strong for yourself and for Henry."

"But," she whispered, "Manny...what will happen to us now?" Her voice quivered in fear. "He said if I don't kill Jack tonight -"

"- you did. You killed Frostbite by pushing him off a steep cliff. That's what you'll tell him when you get back to headquarters, understand?" Aster reiterated sharply before leaving without saying another word.

Astrid watched as he turned his back towards her and began his slow descent down into the valley through a narrow path. She could hear his footsteps disturbing the loose gravel until both his form and sounds were swallowed up by the darkness. It was completely silent all around her except for the ambient sounds of nature providing what little noise they can.

A disappointed sigh passed her lips as she sat there. It was true that as soon as Jack mentioned Henry, she had lost all rational thought and even nearly jeopardized them in the process.

"Damn it," she whispered as she tilted her head back to look up at the moon. It was silhouetted behind a thin shroud of clouds, providing very little light to the earth. Astrid kept her gaze on it as she began to wonder if she and Henry made the right decision siding with Manny in this entire conflict.

She brought her gloved hands up in front of her face and bowed, as if she were praying. The uncertainty and unrest that was growing within her was consuming her entire being.

"...He's alive. I didn't kill him. I didn't kill _anyone_ …" she muttered as her tightly laced hands shook against her forehead. "He's alive. Jack's _alive_."

* * *

Jack could barely hear or make out who was calling out to him. He wasn't even sure if he was alive until he finally came to his senses when a chilly wind awoke him. His head was rattling with pain and it felt as if every single bone in his body was shattered. Surprisingly, he was alive.

He grunted weakly as he lay there in the pitch black darkness. His hands felt around the ground and he found himself pushing down on something prickly, but soft. Perhaps he had landed upon a bed of pine needles, he thought to himself as he managed to bring his arm around to feel around for his phone.

 _'At least my arms are fine,'_ he thought as he felt no pain pulling out the phone from the pocket of his blazer. _'Did I just get extremely lucky?'_ he asked himself as he used the light from his phone screen to regain some vision.

With some light, Jack confirmed that he indeed survived by landing in a pile of dead pine needles that appeared to litter the floor of the valley where he was. He assumed that he didn't fall too far down either since he was still alive with no major injuries.

"Great," he whispered as he attempted to pick himself up. "I guess I can just slowly climb back up -" Jack stopped and gagged violently, followed by a sudden rush of blood that spewed out from his mouth. He stared at the splatter of blood beneath him as he coughed, getting rid of the excess, in bewilderment at first. His expression quickly changed into that of horror when he looked down at his body and saw what had actually happened to him.

"No way…" Jack's eyes went wide at the amount of blood matting the pine needles beneath him and at the long, thin metal pipe that stuck out from the ground. The rusted pipe, which was probably someone's careless act at throwing out junk onto the side of the road, disappeared into his side and exited out his back, impaling him completely.

His body shook at the realization that he had suffered a fatal wound. Jack grunted and let out a loud, strangled cry in pain as he attempted to keep himself up on all fours, only to fall back down and slide his wound over the pipe.

 _'No way…'_ he thought to himself as he lay there, shaking violently at the fact that he was impaled. His head spun at the blood loss and he could feel his eyes rolling back into his head. _'No way…'_

Jack's hand trembled as he desperately tried to grab at anything he could use to save himself. He grasped at the dead pine needles beneath him in a fit of desperation. The shock he felt was now being mixed in with the excruciating pain that tore through his body. He gasped and coughed out more blood as he attempted to move.

 _'I can't die yet,'_ he thought just as he moved slightly so that the necklace Elsa had given him was poking him through the fabric of his pants pocket. His body broke out into a cold sweat, causing his black bangs to stick messily against his forehead. Images of Elsa began flashing before his eyes as he cried out loudly in pain at the sensation of the pipe sliding through his injury once more.

 _'I still need to protect her.'_

Jack stifled down a grunt as he released one of the liquid nitrogen canisters he kept holstered on his side. He managed to lift himself up off the ground just enough to expose enough of the pipe for him to splash the chemical on. A cloudy mist engulfed him as the chemical hissed against the pipe before it was frozen completely through. The brittle metal allowed for Jack to break it easily, freeing himself from its confines.

He let out a relieved gasp and fell back down onto the ground with the rest of the pipe still sticking out from his back. _At least_ , he thought, he wasn't stuck in an uncomfortable position anymore, but he was still in danger of bleeding out, even with the pipe still embedded within him. Not to mention, if any of his organs suffered any damage, he was in need of dire medical attention.

"Damn it," he muttered weakly as he tried to pick himself up, only to fall back down. All the strength within was gone and he knew that he had no hopes of climbing out of the valley by himself. Jack let out a soft exhale as he lay there. The air was becoming almost unbearably cold. Could he even last until the morning?

As if answering his internal question, Jack could hear the sound of footsteps rustling in the bushes and foliage surrounding him. It didn't sound human and when he flashed his phone light towards the source of the noise, he could see a pair of glowing yellow eyes staring back at him from the darkness. A cold dread filled him, which he projected outwardly as a wry smirk.

"Come on...give me a break," he breathed out raggedly as he heard the predatory growl of the animal approaching him slowly.

Jack closed his eyes, too weak to fight it off despite how much he wanted to live. He had lost too much blood and the pain was practically eating him inside-out. He braced himself for the animal's teeth to tear into him, but it never came. Instead, he heard a loud gunshot, followed by the whimpering groans of the animal as it quickly retreated.

"Frostbite!" he heard his once codename being uttered by a familiar voice.

"Bunny…?" Jack asked as he fought to open his eyes. He could feel himself being picked up slowly just so that he could sit up. "...What was that?"

"I don't know. I couldn't see it that well, but I'm guessin' it was a bear, mate. I only managed to clip it in the legs somewhere so it might come back soon." Bunny grabbed at Jack's phone so that he could illuminate the area a bit more. His green eyes promptly spread wide open at the sight of Jack's injury. " _Crikey._..Frostbite...it doesn't look good." Even he felt squeamish at the sight of the pole sticking out from Jack's lower abdomen.

"Yeah," Jack let out a weak laugh. " _Obviously_."

Aster eyed him worriedly when the young man started coughing violently in his arms. "Jack…" he said with a weight in his voice. "Do you think you can walk? We need to get you to the hospital -"

" - _No_. I can't."

"This isn't the time for you to be stubborn, damn it."

"I'm not going, Bunny," Jack growled as he resisted Aster's demands. "If I go to the hospital now, then Manny will know where I am. I'm as good as dead if that happens."

Aster furrowed his brow. "What are you talking about, Frostbite? Has Manny told you something we don't know?"

He gave out a wry chuckle as his eyes remained half-lidded from the energy that was being drained out of him. "Don't you think it's funny that you're here? I assume you were sent by Manny to oversee Peter Black's party, right? He's asked you to oversee his other events in the past too, right? He's not making you kill Peter, right? Just...to "observe"."

The furrow in his brow deepened at the slow realization. "You think Manny's coming after you, Frostbite? He's never given us any orders to kill you though."

"...Not to you at least."

Aster saw through the implication and his eyes widened. "...Stormfly? Astrid…? Is that why you ran, Jack? Wait...is that...why...with Winters -?"

Jack chuckled, his voice trembling weakly. "It was such a bittersweet feeling when Elsa told me that she was going to stay by my side. It was comforting, but at the same time...I was scared for her. She unknowingly painted a target for Manny on her back and I couldn't let that happen to her. I'm not going to involve her in my fate."

"- Is Manny trying to kill you just because you betrayed us, Jack -?" Before he could finish his question, Aster heard Jack let out a gagging cough, followed up more blood spewing from his mouth. He knew that the questions needed to wait for now. "Jack! We need to get you help -"

"- I told you that I'm _not_ going to a hospital."

Aster saw Jack reach into his blazer and pull out the last two canisters of liquid nitrogen he kept at his side.

"...Bunny," the young man croaked out as he held out one of the canisters for him. "I need you...to pull the pipe out."

Aster's eyes went to the metal pipe sticking out from Jack's body. "Jack...you're going to bleed out. Have you gone crazy, mate? You'll die if we don't get you actual medical help -!"

"- I know that!" Jack harshly retorted, clenching his teeth as he slowly removed his clothes. "But this is the only way." The cold air practically stung at his exposed torso when he unbuttoned his dress shirt.

The older man's hand shook slightly when Jack handed him the canister. "It's going to hurt like a bitch, mate…" He paused, waiting for Jack's response, but when he heard nothing, he sighed and muttered, "but I guess you know already." Aster wrapped his hand around the pole, however, before he pulled he reassured Jack, "if you make it - well," he paused, "when you make it, I can take you to an apartment I bought for myself. Manny doesn't know of it. You can stay there until you recover."

Jack breathed out a sigh of relief that came out sounding like a wry laugh. "Thanks, Bunny."

"Don't thank me just yet, mate. If you can't endure this, then I'm dragging your ass to a hospital whether you like it or not." Aster paused, tightly gripping the pole with both his hands. "You ready, Frostbite?"

Before the young man could respond, he felt the immediate pain of the pole being pulled out. The pain felt as if his body was being torn in half. Jack initially grit his teeth, attempting to muffle himself, but failed miserably as he very soon let a violent cry rip through his vocal cords.

Aster didn't stop however, despite the amount of blood that was being spilled. He pressed on, trying his best to ignore the pained sounds of suffering from the young man. "Almost, Frostbite. Just hang on."

Jack could feel the last bits of the metal pipe sliding out from his abdomen. He let out a heaving gasp once it was completely out, but he knew that he wasn't completely out of danger yet. Using the very last bit of strength that he had, he popped open one of the liquid nitrogen canisters he carried and poured the contents of it directly over his wound.

He tightly gripped at the dead pine needles beneath him as he fought to keep his consciousness. The pain was practically eating him alive, but he knew that he had to endure it one more time as he needed to get the wound on his back sealed as well.

"Bunny…" Jack breathed out raggedly as he handed him the remaining amount of liquid nitrogen to the older man. "...Please."

Aster stared at the cloud of vapor that was wafting around Jack's wound. From the little light provided by the phone, he could see the outline of the grotesquely sealed wound. His eyes then went to the still freshly open wound on Jack's backside. He took the canister from the young man and wordlessly helped seal the wound, once again trying his best to ignore Jack's pained cries.

Once the plume of vapor cleared up, Aster breathed out a sigh of relief at the sight of the sealed wound. The bleeding stopped for now, but Jack was still in dire need of medical attention.

He chuckled. "You're a tough one, Frostbite. I'm surprised that you're still conscious -" As if on cue, Aster saw Jack's body wavering, then immediately, his body fell to the ground with a soft thump. " _Oi_! Frostbite!" He took the young man into his arms, carefully holding his discarded clothes tightly around his body to shield him from the bitterly cold winds that were whipping up once more. Jack's skin felt cold to the touch and under the dim light from the phone, Aster noticed his bluish lips, which only further alarmed him on the young man's worsening condition.

"Don't you die on me now! ...Frostbite! _Jack_!"

* * *

The last thing she could remember was the sensation of being forcefully kissed by Jack. A kiss that left her lips bruised and her mouth ravaged by his tongue. It still left pleasurable tingles shooting through her body as she slowly awoke from her unconscious state. Elsa arose from her bed carefully; her mind groggily trying to process where she was.

Once she realized that she was in the safety and comfort of her own bedroom, there was a delighted voice at the door.

"Sis! You're awake!"

Elsa turned just in time to receive a full blown hug from her younger sister. She stared down at the mass of strawberry blond hair that had buried itself into her narrow shoulder. "Anna…" she murmured, instinctively raising her arm up to return the hug. "...How long was I out for?"

"For an entire day. We were all starting to get worried," Anna responded with a relieved sigh. "The trip must have been tiring because you were out like a light!" She noticed Elsa's dejected mood and she sheepishly muttered, "but… I guess you already told me that when we spoke over the phone. ...Are you doing okay? With him…?"

Elsa ran her hand through her disheveled blond hair. "Yeah," she breathed out, not saying anything else.

Anna's eyes went down to her sister's bare neckline; the absence of the necklace she usually wore answering her question. "I see...that's good." She paused. "Dylan came by a few hours ago. He had hoped that you were awake but, obviously…" Her voice trailed off when she noticed that there was no reaction from Elsa at the mention of her boyfriend's name.

"...Anna, where's Thiana?"

The abrupt question left her flabbergasted, but she answered it anyways. "She should be in the library. I think she's giving an informational session on some of the new bodyguards she hired."

"New ones…?"

Elsa quickly got out of bed and changed out of her pajamas. As she threw on a shawl over her shoulders, Anna asked in confusion, "what's going on, Elsa? Why are you so frantic?"

Without answering her sister, Elsa strode out of her room in search of Thiana. Rather than the act itself, she was more concerned with the motive behind Thiana's actions. Did something major happen while she was unconscious?

"Thiana!" she called out to the green haired woman when she spotted her exiting the library with the group of new bodyguards. She ignored the small group that were giving her a bushy-eyed stare.

"Dismissed. We'll discuss your shifts tomorrow," Thiana told them before returning her attention to the young blonde. "Elsa, are you well? I was starting to get worried -"

"- What's going on? Why did you hire more bodyguards without my knowledge?"

"I was going to tell you as soon as you woke up."

"Yeah, but...why? Did something happen at the party that I'm not aware of?" Elsa urged her to tell her everything.

Thiana let out soft sigh as she quietly pulled Elsa along by the arm. She lowered her voice to a dull whisper. "It appears that Peter Black is missing."

"What…?"

"It appears that his aides are trying to keep everything under wraps for now, but Aster informed me that they haven't found the car that Peter left in and one of his closest bodyguards has been found just a few miles away from the resort - dead." Thiana paused to let the information sink in. "Apparently Manny had sent Aster to spy on the event...it was suspicious after all that Peter would suddenly throw such a lavish party."

"And after what happened…" Elsa muttered as she brought a hand up to her chin in deep thought. "Who was behind the attack?"

"I doubt it was Peter, unless he went mad. His public reputation is trashed at this point. Many of the party guests are furious with how everything transpired and he lost a lot of connections with prominent individuals in the corporate world. There's no way he would do that to himself. However, whatever happened that night...didn't leave you unscathed, Elsa."

She listened intently.

"The public eye is now on you, Elsa. Your father and then Kai, tried to keep the corporation's assets and other matters a secret from the public, but I'm afraid with this recent incident and Peter Black's disappearance, the public is more focused on you than ever."

"...That's why you hired more bodyguards," Elsa answered her own question.

Thiana gave a solemn nod. "It should have been done earlier, but with the protection of the Guardians, you were safe. Not to mention, your father's paranoia towards hiring any new staff for the estate. I'm afraid that things will have to change now. I apologize greatly for acting without your permission, but I hope you will now understand my decision, Elsa."

The platinum blonde simply nodded in response. She kept quiet for a bit, trying to assess the situation and how complicated her life may become starting today. Her eyes went back to Thiana, who appeared to be fiddling with another thought that she seemed hesitant on telling the young woman of. "Is there something else you need to tell me?"

Thiana continued to hesitate before finally asking Elsa, "are you feeling well?"

"Huh?"

"Perhaps we should sit you down first -"

"- Thiana. Tell me. What else is there?" Elsa's voice quivered warily. She had a bad feeling creep up her throat.

The petite woman bit her bottom lip before fixing her gaze with Elsa's and stating in a clear, solemn tone of voice, "Aster informed me...that Jack's gone."

" _What_?" Her mouth dried up. "...Y - You mean he disappeared again?"

"Not...quite." Thiana let out an exasperated sigh at herself in frustration. She began slowly. "I'm sorry, Elsa, but Jack's dead."

* * *

 **A/N** Incredibly sorry for the short chapter after such a long hiatus. I'll try to get the next chapter out soon, but depends on if anyone's still interested in this fic or not haha.

I won't be responding to reviews individually since some weren't questions or points I want to touch on without giving away too much, but yes - Jack flip flops a lot emotionally these past few chapters because he's playing like...triple agent LOL. Or something of that nature. Well I guess he won't need his emotions now. (Too soon for dead jokes?)

Only review I will respond to personally is **Furiyan** 's because YES. OVERWATCH. ALL THE YES. I love all the characters, but Tracer is so annoying to kill in-game so I don't like her in that aspect hahaha. All the animated shorts are love. My favs have to be The Last Bastion, Alive, and Inflitration. Sombra is my all-time favorite aside from Lucio haha. Sorry, nerded out there for a moment, but Overwatch is life.


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